I am not the average student.
That’s not to say I don’t have to follow the same rules. But rejoining school at the age of 36, three days after getting married has made this quite an experience for me.
I grew up in the DC area and moved to Eugene in 2015 because I needed to get out of DC. I think some people are starting to see why I needed to leave, but Oregon has its own set of issues. While being here my life has taken a drastic shift from being a Chef, to being a paid writer.
In 2020 I was awarded a Fellowship with Google to write for Eugene Weekly. In many ways when I got that fellowship my life changed. I had always been a writer, oftentimes fiction, but I had never been recognized for anything. It was often just random blurbs about nothing, but Eugene Weekly changed everything. It’s an outlet I’m fortunate to have.
I also have hella pets. Three dogs, a cat, and a bunch of fish. I can’t really say that’s not normal for a student, but I find most students are renting rooms and don’t have the space. I remember my first term I was in class talking about 9/11 and how it affected me, as I was a junior in High School at the time. Half the class hadn’t even been born yet.
That’s not to say those people aren’t important, because they are. But what it does say is I don’t have to hold myself in some type of competition with my student peers. It’s likely our lives are completely different. Our experiences have shaped us to be who we are, and I know being a black man from DC is different than anything Eugene has to offer, and vice versa. Which I personally enjoy. I like the differences in people, it makes stuff interesting.
Here are photos of my pets. I look forward to this term.
Hello, Chandlor. I hope you and your family from DC are doing okay after the attack on the Capitol. I remember you mentioned in the Zoom chat “So many toys, Keyan.” referring to the Legos behind me. That’s 16 years worth of collecting; everything I spent money on between the ages of 5 and… 17? I haven’t bought any in a couple years, however. You seem very cool based on my first impression of you.
It’s interesting being a student in their 30s; the strangeness gets worse with age unfortunately. I spoke with my grandmother about how she’d like to go back to college, to which I greatly encouraged. Unfortunately she has it in her head that she’s too old. The idea that college is only for the young needs to change, we need to normalize the presence of senior students. Glad to see you’re not held back by the stigma. Wish you luck on your academic journey.
Hi Chandler, I am also an older student here and remember 9/11. That is awesome you were able to get a Fellowship with Google. What an incredible and life-changing experience. And so many of them at the same time!
~ beautfiul family pics (fuzzy ones included)!