CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
To my great joy, Melissa gathered up her courage and moved to Wichita to be with me in 2000. By this time, I was able to let her know what the city of Wichita was like and what type of job opportunities were available to her. This was a huge step in her life — she was leaving her home for the first time, in order to travel to another state to be with a guy. It was a little tense, since her parents didn’t really feel they knew as much about me as they might have liked. I promised them I would take good care of their daughter, though, and I meant it.
I returned to California to help Melissa with the trip, and we drove her red 1990 Ford Thunderbird halfway across the country. I will never forget the sight of her mom crying and feeling the weight of a huge level of responsibility drop onto my shoulders.
Soon after we arrived in Kansas, Melissa and I decided to get married. We were in love and after so many months of living in the dormitories, I was ready to live in a cozy home environment with her.
Melissa got a job at a local hospital as a traveling nurse, and we rented a one-bedroom apartment on Rock Road, a few miles north of the base. Our hope was that we might be able to buy a house once I was discharged from the military.
Melissa really wanted me to continue my education and get a college degree, which was something I had finally accepted I had to do. My military service combined with a college degree could open up more job opportunities for me after separating from the military.
I started to take classes in the evenings after work, first at Butler College, then at Southwestern College. I chose human resources as my major, earning some initial college credits by taking CLEP (College Level Examination Program) tests.
I don't remember taking a single math class in college, since I passed my math tests and earned college credits via CLEP. I owe any academic success I have had to the strong teachers I had in Karsiyaka and the importance they placed on math and science classes when I was young.
Looking back at my school years in Turkey from first grade until I graduated from high school, we were surrounded by many knowledgeable teachers. They knew their subjects, taught them well, and cared about the learning process of their students.
I have to express great thanks to all of my teachers in all grades in my hometown for their patience, sacrifice, and determination to get me and all my peers ready for the future. They put up with quite a bit during my time there, and I’m sure the generations of kids they taught after me were just as much of a handful, but hopefully they look back with just as much gratitude as I do. I developed a lot of respect for teachers through the years, recognizing the important role they play in our communities and the patience their jobs demand.
Comments