Dalton State College

ï»¿ Untitled Document

Charlotte Freeman	Archives >>

Charlotte Freeman says she found her purpose in life when she began working as a Para-professional for the Walker County Schools. “I fell in love with it,” says Freeman, a wife and mother of two girls who is enrolled in the College’s Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education degree. “I had never worked in a school setting before, just for insurance companies,” she says. “But I love being in the classroom. The kindergarten teacher I worked with could tell how much I loved it and encouraged me to go back to school and pursue my dreams.” Three years ago, Freeman began taking courses at Dalton State to fulfill her core requirements for her bachelor’s degree, all while working as a Para-pro at North Lafayette Elementary School. But last year, she devoted her time solely to her studies and completed the last seven courses she needed to qualify for admittance into the Early Childhood Education program. An all “A” student since she enrolled at Dalton State, Freeman was accepted into the program this fall and is enthusiastic about her future in the classroom.
“What I love about the program already is that I’m learning from instructors who have ‘been there and done that,’” she says. “They are all former school teachers, principals, and administrators who have real-life experience in schools. They’re not instructors who are just out of the university teaching from a textbook.” Another aspect of Dalton State’s program that Freeman especially likes is the fact that education students experience working with each grade level – K through 5 – during their junior and senior years. "So far, I’ve only had experience with the little ones, kindergarten students,” Freeman says. “I really like math and science, and I think that I may get to teach more content with the older students. I may find that I like working with them even more than the younger students.” Going to school full-time while managing to be a “stay-at-home” mom in the afternoons and evenings when her daughters Molly and Lille are home is not without sacrifice – on everyone’s part, she says. “ They’re all supportive,” she says of her children and husband Daryl, “and they’re all behind me 100 percent. But they’ve had to make sacrifices when it comes to helping around the house.” Freeman notes that she’s had to sacrifice time with the family as well at times. Because of her drive to make all “A’s,” she often opts out of activities she enjoys, such as going to the movies with her family, to stay home and study. They’ve also had to make financial sacrifices as they no longer benefit from a two-income family, she says. But the two scholarships she received from the DSC Foundation have been a great help, says Freeman. “The financial support I’ve received has exceeded my expectations. To have somebody fund your education is just phenomenal. I feel obligated to do the very best I can.” Last spring, Freeman was awarded the Dalton Foam Scholarship and the newly-created Robert Knisley Scholarship, totaling $2000 in aid for this academic year. “Some days, I can’t wait to get back into the classroom,” Freeman says. “But for now, I’m just glad that I have the opportunity to go through this program at Dalton State.”