Meet a Reader | Heather, a CA flight nurse
Today we're meeting Heather, who has a very cool job. AND she lives in two different places in California. Here's Heather:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hey ya'll! I am an early-thirties, married flight nurse that currently splits her time between Los Angeles, CA and Mammoth Lakes.
I love the dichotomy of living in the busy, fast-paced metropolitan that is known for glamour and then driving up for work in the High Sierras and spending the days in the mountains and farmland.
As flight nurses, we work 24-hour shifts and can be called at the drop of a hat for a call. Some days we don't have a call all day and some days I can fly for 18 hours straight.
My base supports both helicopter and fixed-wing med-evac, so it isn't uncommon to be in three states in less than four hours depending on the type of transport.
Because of my very non-traditional schedule, I end up having a week off in between rotations, so I get a decent amount of free time. As of now, that free time is spent doing house DIY projects, small-scale homesteading and writing.
My husband and I are child-free by choice, as neither of us really has jobs that are conducive to raising a family. However, I am lucky to have numerous niblings for when I get the urge for that "new baby" smell.
I figure that I can't have kids because where else are my nieces going to have a coming-of-age story over the course of a summer at my eccentric but tastefully decorated house by the coast?
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I found Kristen and The Frugal Girl in college (so over ten years ago). However, I finally came out of the lurker corner about a year ago and here we are!
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I grew up in a pretty frugal household. Though we were solidly middle class and never went without, I remember my mom coupon clipping, teaching me the virtues of store brands, and my dad mending my clothes.
I started college right as the early '00s recession hit and that affected me greatly. My college tuition went up 30% in one year and getting full-time hours at either of my jobs was extremely difficult, so I started researching money-saving efforts.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
Because I have champagne taste on a mid-level beer budget.
My husband and I are fortunate to make good salaries, but I am the first to admit that I like nice things and enjoy being generous to my friends and family. I like to own nice things that last a long time, surround myself with beauty in my home, and be able to treat my loved ones to similar things.
So in order to make those things happen, I look to frugality.
5. What's your best frugal win?
TheRealReal and estate sales.
Like I said, I like nice things. TheRealReal and local estate sales let me get brand-name, oftentimes designer, clothing, furniture, and home items. for the same price or less than I would pay for a fast fashion option.
I recently scored a vintage Armani silk blazer for $35. I couldn't get that for the same at any big box store.
Plus, I kept something out of a landfill, it's one less ethically-dubious item of clothing I own and it's completely unique from everyone else.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
This is going to be controversial but: graduate school.
I know. I KNOW.
I would never say education is a waste and there are valuable things that could be gleaned from every academic endeavor, but for me, it was a waste of money.
I started on my Master's when I was a shiny new nurse and had no idea what direction I was going in my career. By the time I realized what aspects of nursing I enjoyed, I was too far into it to back out.
So I have a Master's degree that I will most likely never use and isn't really relevant to my career path. I just wish I had taken more time for some self-reflection and to gain more experience.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Food and experiences.
I live in one of the best food cities in the world, so trying new cuisines or ingredients is one of my biggest splurges. I am really lucky and live within walking distance of many multicultural supermarkets and I have a policy of trying one new thing every time I go in. This doesn't have to be something big or expensive, maybe just a new vegetable I don't know or a sauce to try.
As the world opens up, my husband and I have made it a point to see as many concerts and attend as many events as we can. I worked through the pandemic in a Covid ICU and one of my biggest takeaways is to just do as much as you can because you never know when that string of life is going to be clipped.
This is my little reminder to myself that while frugality is important, I will not be on my deathbed glad that I saved the money, but missed seeing Pearl Jam live.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
The "bling" aesthetic.
Living in Los Angeles can really skew your perspective on what is normal and there is so much pressure to keep up with the Jones's. I am not one to be flashy, so that so many of my fancy car, giant diamonds, and four-star resort lifestyle, doesn't really resonate with me.
Another reason why I love living part-time in a rural mountain community is that it really helps bring me back down to earth and is very grounding.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
Right now, I am saving and working overtime because I am planning my parent's surprise 50th wedding anniversary party this year, so it would probably go into the savings account earmarked for that.
My parents got married very young and didn't have a real wedding, so I am trying to give them a bit of a redo.
However, as that is an outlier; I would say normally it would go towards investment accounts. My husband and I are working on a down payment for a second property for rental income, so every little bit helps.
10. What's the hardest part of being frugal?
Saying "No." Or feeling envious of some of the experiences of others.
Even though I grew up pretty middle class, a lot of my family grew up extremely wealthy (like going to elementary school with Hollywood stars wealthy) and it took me a long time to come to terms with the differences in our lifestyles when I was growing up. While I was having my vacation in a rental RV, they went to Europe for a month.
Even now, I sometimes get a twinge of envy, wishing I didn't have the same financial constraints and could have these amazing experiences with ease.
However, as an adult, I think I am the lucky one. I grew up in a lifestyle that I am able to maintain now, independently from my parents. Knowing that I am the one that pays my bills and I am not beholden to anyone else is actually freeing.
11. What single action or decision has saved you the most money over your life?
Community college.
My dad taught at our local community college for most of my life, so I started taking general classes when I was around 15. By the time I graduated high school, I had the equivalent of an associate's degree in credits. I also chose to go to community college for two years after high school. This allowed me to work full-time and save money like crazy.
As I mentioned before, my four-year university tuition went up 30% in one year after I transferred; I couldn't imagine having to pay that amount for all four years.
Additionally, community college allowed me to have the space to explore with minimal repercussions. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do, so I could take classes that I was interested in without the worry that I was wasting money on a class that wasn't necessary.
Community college is the main reason that I was able to graduate college with very minimal debt, which I think gave me a massive head start.
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Heather, I loved reading about your life! I am so intrigued about your job; how did you discover you were interested in flight nursing? What all does your job entail? Are you mostly keeping patients stable and comfortable during transport? Also, are you doing mostly emergency types of service?
I'm also curious about the graduate degree; what did you get yours in?
And I love that you started out at a community college; I'm getting my R.N. at our local community college, and my kids have all taken community college classes during high school.
My dad also worked at a community college and I started classes at 15! It really is a great way to start exploring what you want to do.
Heather, it's nice to meet you. I remember when I was in your place with my nieces and nephews. Except I was single and not terribly frugal. I loved spoiling them! Your life is so different than mine (and so much more exciting); it's neat to see how flexible frugal is.
And I hope I never meet you while you're working 😉
@Jody S.,
I joke with all my patients when we drop them off that I never want to see them again...
Love your interview! What an interesting career! I can’t imagine doing medical evac in the Sierras. Very intense. Like Kristen, I’d like to hear more about your career.
I am also a huge estate sale fan. In my part of the world, they are the best choice for secondhand goods of all sorts. Many years ago, I purchased an antique bronze, Burmese Lion Dog (temple guardian) at an estate sale in Brentwood (LA). The estate sale company said it was a door stop and marked it accordingly. I shipped it home to Florida from California. It now guards my front door. I brought it with me to the Antique Road Show. Unfortunately, it’s not worth a fortune, but I love it just the same.
Wishing you peace and good health!
@Bee,
Brentwood and LA have the best estate sales. I sometimes go just to look and not even buy. Some of these houses are like a museum!
Heather,
Thank you for sharing your story. It was fun to read about your life and the choices you made to get there.
I love the fact that buying quality goods second hand keeps them out of landfills, requires no new manufacturing, and results in long lasting items.
@K D,
I am getting more disappointed with some of my local thrift store as they are getting filled with fast fashion and plastic, so I am trying to branch out more. Plus I love a good conversation piece!
@K D,
I’m working my way into Estate sales in my new gone and it’s already paying off. I’ve found that estate sales here in Minnesota are far nicer than ones in Oklahoma, and we snagged a solid maple dresser for $35. Needs a bit of work but it will last!
Hi Heather! As a resident of a remote community in which our only emergency responders come on a helicopter, allow me to express appreciation of your current career choice. I also have to note that I, too, grew up around extremely wealthy people while living a much more middle-class lifestyle, and it does certainly skew your perception of "normal." It did teach me, however, that the people in those giant homes are not necessarily any happier than the people in the modest ones, and that lifestyle comes with its own challenges. So. I agree that we're the lucky ones. 🙂
I never considered the value of community colleges, until I got a job at one by chance. Now, I kind of regret the extra money spent at for the first two years at a four year school. Other than friends (who I still might have met in the second half), there is no discernible advantage.
My mama was a volunteer EMT in rural SC back in the 80s and worked up to Captain of the Squad. She was also terrified of flying. She answered a gunshot call one afternoon and they called for a Medevac as the closest trauma center was 45 minutes by ambulance at best. It came and Mama and her guys - she was the only woman, of course, and loaded the patient into the helicopter. She stepped back and the pilot looked at her and said "let's go" and she just looked at him like he had lost his mind. He said, "I fly, somebody has to be in the back with him". Mama climbed up, strapped in and when asked about it, she said she never took her eyes off the man the whole way to the hospital. The ambulance driver who brought her back says she shook the whole way home. Y'all are a different breed and we appreciate you.
Ds went to community college part of his senior year and a month after he graduated, my dh had a stroke, so our lives were suddenly unsure. He went for his first year, then was able to transfer into UNC at Chapel Hill which he didn't get in on the first try. Many people don't realize it, but transfer requirements are often easier than getting in as a freshman. If he had not gone to community college first and gotten those good grades on his gen eds, he would have settled for less than his dream school.
@Jennifer,
I was able to get into UCLA as a transfer when my high school grades might not have cut it the first time...
@Heather,
I empathize about the thrift stores in LA, they are definitely hitting the highest end in pricing while having the lowest end in goods right now. In an earlier comment I was going to share one of my favorites for quality clothing but I see now you may already know it! The UCLA Thrift Shop on Sawtelle is great. I've definitely gotten some great pieces in like new condition. Also love estatesales.net for weekend wandering!
@Leigh, The best thing I ever got from an estate sale was a box marked "Stamps" for $1. I thought it was used stamps that I was going to give my nephew, who collects stamps. It turned out to be filled with several hundred dollars of unused stamps! It took me years to go through them and it was sort of fun because it was a mixture of old stamps and newer ones, so I had to mix and match the amounts to reach the right total (this was before forever stamps).
@Lindsey, Wow!! That's a great find!
@Heather, Similar story here! I started at UC Riverside and then transferred in to UCLA and ended up with a degree from there. I don't know if I would have gotten in with my high school grades. I had several friends who went the CC route and then transferred between their 3rd and 4th years. Their GPAs were off to a great start and they saved a ton.
Hi, Heather. Your job fascinates me! We have a family member who was an RN in the NICU and who used to do emergency med-evacs with newborns and NICU infants. I'm sure you have some exceptional moments happening in your career!
I agree with you on community college, too. My husband, my kids and I all attended community college, and my kids and I went on to university after that. We are so glad we did it that way. My mind boggled at the thought of sending an 18 year old kid off to a university with a student population more than 10 times greater than the population of the entire town they grew up in. Community college eased the transition and when we elected pre-paid tuition for them when they were very young, it made our payments less, because we selected the "2 and 2" plan of community college, then university, which was cheaper than the 4 year university only plan. It was also easier to get into the university, as the community college they chose had a class track designed to flow into the local university's majors. It also meant their community college credit hours transferred completely.
Thanks for letting us meet you!
@JD,
Tell your family member that they are the coolest! We often take NICU transport teams (we are just the bus) and those humans are waaaaay too small for my comfort level. NICU RN's are incredible.
Wow! What an interesting profession! So enjoyable to read about. Also .... I got a kick out of your first picture. Your hair and clothing say "she's a creative" and your decorating style says "but she enjoys traditional, too!". You have a wide variety of interests and it would be fun to hang out with you.
Greetings, Heather, from a fellow secondhander and member of the "child-free by choice" club. Even though it might seem that we don't have much in common (I'm old enough to be your mother and fearful of helicopters), I think there are always areas of overlap between the lives of any two TFG'ers!
hi heather, nice to meet you. thanks for sharing. what an exciting life. dfferent strokes for different folks. My kids mean the world to me. Hubby and I flew halfway around the world twice to become parents. Good luck with your rental property.
Hi Heather! Thanks for sharing! My first job after college was in an ER's administration office and I got to check out one of the helicopters one time. Pretty cool stuff! Our nurse educator had a second job as a flight nurse and it sounded like the shifts were long but exciting.
I love the balance you get of big city and rural life. What a gift!!
I'm glad you started joining the conversation in the comments. 🙂
@Ruth T,
One of the best parts of this job is schedule. I still work in an ICU in the LA area part time...
Thank you for sharing your story. I have a BS in Kinesiology with emphasis in Athletic Training but decided to attend a community college for my 2 year nursing degree. I don’t regret going backwards if you wish to see it that way. I had no idea what kind of nursing I wanted to do, it was the best choice as I started my career with no debt. Currently I work as a case manager and have repatriated pts to their home states/hospitals via air. I respect and appreciate what you do.
It is a funny thing to grew up among those that have much more. Today, I pride myself on not taking handouts from my parents and paying my own and in some ways giving back to them. It is a problem when you have high tastes and cannot afford them, I see my cousins still depending on their parents to maintain that luxury lifestyle.
Now that I have been a nurse for over a decade, I am ready to consider a masters degree and luckily m employer will pay for most of it.
@Diana,
I wish I had had your wisdom with the graduate degree. After being a nurse for awhile as well, I feel like I actually have the knowledge base for grad school (but now I have no desire for it!) Good luck!!
Did I miss what specific graduate degree you got?
@Heather, I feel the same about graduate school .. . . except I was a teacher. I'm now glad I didn't go on for my master's.
@Kristen,
OMG, I totally forgot to include that! My graduate degree was in Nursing Education. I thought I might want to go into management long, long ago. Now I know that we are like wrangling cats. Plus I love patient care too much to leave.
Oh yeah, I don't think I want to manage either!
@Jody S., former teacher here and I’m also glad I don’t get an MEd. If I go back to school it will be in a completely different field I think.
Hey guys, Heather here!
Sorry for the late start, but I flew for a lot of the night so I am just about to go to bed. I will try and answer as many questions as I can.
I got interested in flight nursing somewhat by accident. I have been an ICU nurse for almost all of my career (about 10 years) and I had been on the receiving end of getting flight patients. I always thought flight nurses had the coolest job (we do!), but it wasn't until a few years ago I thought about it seriously. I found a few openings on a job board and applied. It requires a minimum of 3-5 years of ICU or ER experience and a whole long list of certifications.
One of my pilots always jokes that he is "just the bus driver," but that is a lot of what we entail, we are just taking the patient to where they gotta go. Though we are based in the high Sierra's we will fly from the Mexico border to Portland to Denver. About a third of our calls are local and we are flying out because whatever particular specialty they need isn't available, but the rest are either a "scene call," meaning we are landing at the scene and assessing/transporting from there or we are taking the patient to a higher level of care. It is pretty cool to have a patient needing a heart transplant to go get a new one.
@Heather, so thankful for your career field and all those who work in it. My son had to be flighted 13 blocks from one hospital to another the day he was born because he wasn’t breathing or moving and they needed the better NICU. Even if you’re a figurative bus driver you’rea critical member of a Life-saving team. Thanks for your service to humanity!
Hi Heather! That's a very interesting life you lead.
I gotta disagree with some of you about community college, though. It is not at all the same education you can get at a top-tier university. I'm also skeptical about grad school, unless it's needed for a certain profession. In fact, my Wall Street titan friend recently told my son to skip plans for grad school in a finance career, as it's a waste of time. (And he went to Wharton.) A friend of mine who teaches writing at a local college keeps urging me to get a master's in creative writing and I finally said to her, "Why? I already know I can write."
@Rose,
I think a lot of education is luck and what you make of it. I was really lucky and lived by one the best community colleges in California, but I also worked really hard to make the most out of it. I do agree with you about graduate school and unless it is required for your job (or you just want that accomplishment too), I haven't see the value in mine. Some of the most amazing nurses I work with have an associate's degree and certificate.
@Heather, there are a lot of factors contributing to the effectiveness of community college versus a traditional university experience. The kids in my locale who have used it successfully as a stepping stone had a clear educational objective in mind and were able to take classes which would transfer to their school-of-choice. I live in a largely blue-collar area and the overall mindset toward education is very different from living in a college town. My kids have an advantage in that both my husband and I are college educated and are able to help them navigate the process (much as your father did for you). Unfortunately, our high school counselors haven't proven to be very helpful for those with dreams of further education. I feel for those kids--it's SO hard to figure out the best path without good guidance. To sum up my meandering thoughts .... you are so right, ALL opportunities are what you make of them. Different goals have different paths. Take the time and effort to research which path best suits you.
@Kris, I too grew up in a blue collar neighborhood and my brother was the first person in our family (extended) to go to college. I was the second and the first to go away to school. I was determined to crack the top tier colleges and I did, without any help from anyone or enough money or parents who had any idea what I was doing. In fact, first week of classes my mother argued with me about whether I had to *buy* textbooks, considering how much tuition the school charged....sigh. But I wouldn't trade my college experiences for anything.
I am glad that New York State, where I live, makes state schools free for residents.
I am not educated enough in this field to know what all the stats are about the pros and cons of top-tier universities, but I would offer up that not everyone NEEDS to have the best of the best in education. Sometimes, a less-expensive, in-state university that is not Ivy League will work just fine.
We've all got to find the happy intersection between 1) what we can afford and 2) what is necessary for our career paths.
Luckily for me, the nursing program at my community college routinely outranks the four-year schools here! So, it's not even a tough decision for me..the cheaper option is also the better option. Yay!
@Kris, I couldn’t agree with you more. Every individual’s journey is different, and there are many variables that may influence the path chosen. Although I’m a huge proponent of higher education, not everyone is made for the competitive environment of an Ivy League school or the anonymousness of a large state university. Community Colleges serve an important role in the lives of many.
@Rose, it’s hard for some parents to understand their kids needs. I was dating my husband in the early 80’s when he had a job interview to enter a management training program at major bank. He had no money and his parents did not understand that it was important for him to be properly dressed for his interview. I told my mother and she bought him a navy blue pin -stripe suit and all the accoutrements. She believed in him. Things are a little less formal now, but back then a suit was a necessity. BTW, he was hired and he still owns that suit even though it is much too small now.
Folks, I am not dissing community colleges. I think they do a great job. I'm just disagreeing with the frequently encountered opinion that all colleges are basically the same so you might as well save as much money as you can. They aren't.
Of course everyone's family circumstances are different. And I probably could have saved myself a lot of heartache if I'd chosen a cheaper path, but I don't regret it, as those years, the friends and contacts I made, the things I learned, will stay with me forever.
As for suits, my ex, after college, went on interviews wearing a Harris tweed blazer his father had given him. His father went to London School of Economics, but had somehow not understood that late 60s tweed blazers for young men working in book publishing (my FIL) didn't work for young men in computer science in the 80s. Sigh. So even educated parents can be clueless.
@Kristen, I think it also depends on your major. I went to the University of Alaska for my undergrad degree. It is not a top-tier school, unless you are into one of the arctic sciences---then it is top class. My grad degrees are from ivy league schools but I know I was well served by going to a state college for those first yers after high school, when your dreams are still in flux and you are learning to navigate life in general, not just college. (And when you grow up in an immigrant enclave, parts of the mainstream US culture can be pretty mystifying. I think that has changed since social media, where all kids have access to anything/everything in the world. But college was the first time I had to speak English all the time and the first time I had more than random contact with American boys.) My undergrad profs were very involved with the students and really worked to help people succeed, and there was none of the display-your-wealth nonsense that happened at the fancy top tiered schools I went to after my B.A.
This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about:
"display-your-wealth nonsense"
Seriously? I semi don't believe it. In fact in my experience it was the opposite. This is just the kind of the thing that people who haven't been there think is the way these schools operate, as opposed to real life. I could go on with the idea that top-tier profs aren't involved with their students or help students succeed, but I won't. I have never seen that. Maybe in grad school it's different; my sister is very bitter about her grad school experience at Yale.
@Rose, As it turns out, Yale was where I earned my M.A., so I am here to stand behind your sister. A very unhappy experience with profs who were better in the books they wrote than in the classes they taught; some people are not meant to teach. And, believe it or not, there were plenty of over the top displays of wealth, with plenty of loud bragging so people around could be impressed. You always knew whose parent was a top federal bureaucrat, and, strangely, when people were arrested at demonstrations or for drugs at parties, they were not among the arrested...
@Rose,
NY state makes state schools free to residents? That was not the case when I graduated from high school on Long Island (40 mumble-mumble years ago). I planned to go to SUNY Stony Brook, but life had other plans. What a great opportunity for NY residents!
@Bee, my son is at a small state university. He is not cut out for a large university and is doing well where he is. His school is located in Michigan's upper peninsula and it's a unique experience! In his case, the small size of the school is a benefit in his chosen field and due to the small size, he gets a lot more hands-on experience than he would at, say, a large university. He's following in my husband's footsteps of being a fisheries biologist and since my husband is in the field, he knows what to look for in terms of academic development. I was thinking about him when I wrote my original comment.
Loved reading this. I was an RN for 7 years before I went back for my NP degree. Loved all my varied RN experiences but never did flight - while I love what I'm doing now and wouldn't change it - I regret missing that experience and LOVE that you are doing it. Side note - I have kids of my own, but I am also an Aunt. Being an Aunt is truly the greatest and you are able to have a relationship that is just different, in a great way. Kudos to you for being that aunt!
I was a “flight nurse” once and that was
enough. A hunter photo journalist in Turkey for a shoot fell and broke his back. I was Director of nurses at American Hospital in Istanbul. Took him back to Washington state via an overnight stay in a Copenhagen hospital. That was one of my longest and hardest duties in 43 yrs of nursing practice. I salute you in that nursing job. Nieces and nephews bring a lot of fun to life for sure.
"do as much as you can because you never know when that string of life is going to be clipped"
This is such a wise observation!
I am also a huge fan of community college. Because I went to community college for the first two years, I managed to graduate from college in 1983 without debt, after putting myself through school with a combination of scholarships, savings and several part-time jobs.
I love these Meet a Reader posts. Heather, what a fascinating and exciting life you lead! Thank you for sharing.
I have to agree about graduate school. I say that as someone with three advanced degrees. My degrees were vital for my career path, but they were carefully chosen with time and experience and were all paid for either by employers or grants. When my SIL was considering grad school right after finishing undergrad (all on student loans, of course), I advised her to start in her field first before going farther into debt. Luckily she followed my advice and has since gotten her MA in the field she is currently in (not where she started out) and had it paid for by the federal government because her husband is military).
Glad to meet you too! Envy is the green eyed monster, truly--it can bite anyone any time. Your community college experience is wonderful to hear, as I taught 15 years and loved my community college students. As for the master's degree, it may still give you better pay than without it--I have been surprised since I finished my M.A. how many doors are open that would otherwise have been closed.
I lived for three years in Santa Barbara, CA, glitz central, but not a nice community. It was easy to identify the glitz with false values and painful pressures on girls and women to look like Hollywood. Never regret investing in the long run!
What an interesting life you have! Thanks for sharing.
This was a fascinating read! Thank you for sharing.
Just another view of community college (cc); my husband spent his first two years in cc after high school because it was cheaper to get his basic classes done than in university. He maxed out on all the basic prerequisite courses he could take for his electrical engineering (ee) degree and then transferred to the ee program at a big 4-year state university. However, he went straight into the ee classes taking both prerequisite and requisite courses concurrently, which was extremely hard. He got the cc credits but not the GPA transferred, so he didn't have the cushion of getting good grades in the basic prequisites to help boost his GPA when he didn't do well in the harder higher level classes. He wishes he could have done it differently had he known, but unfortunately, it was based on his family's finances at the time.
I’m so jealous! I always wanted to go back and be a flight nurse.
Hi Heather,
I loved reading about your life and your career. You have such an important job. Hats off to you! I love meeting other readers who have chosen not to have kids. We have that in common. I so agree what you said about community college. I earned an Associates degree from Delta College in Michigan, which is a top-rated community college. I was able to transfer the majority of my credits to Michigan State University, where I earned a Bachelors degree. I actually feel that I learned much more at the community college, where we had small classes and the professors actually taught the class. At Michigan State, some of my classes had literally hundreds of people and many were taught by TA's. I had a great time socially at Michigan State, but I don't think I would have been ready to be on such a huge campus right out of high school. The good thing about going to a big school is the name recognition on your resume for the education section.
The discussion on the value of top tier colleges is so interesting! I think it does really depend on what you want to do. I went to Ivy League undergrad and graduate schools and am now tenure-track faculty at an Ivy League university. There is no question that those credentials helped me into my current career (and likely were an unspoken requirement). When I think back also, several of my peers from undergrad are now famous writers, composers, showrunners, etc - there is this component of being surrounded by creative people that can't be dismissed. I hate sounding elitist but there is a reason these schools are so hard to get into and so $$$. A waste of money for sure if one's aspirations lie elsewhere, but like Rose, I'm very grateful for my experiences and as I was supported by generous financial aid, it worked out pretty well.
I definitely do think that these types of colleges make sense for some people in some fields! I just think for someone like me, who wants to be a nurse, a less-expensive school is a very good option.
School is not a one-size-fits-all thing, and there are so, so many variables (both personal and economic) that go into deciding what's a good fit for a particular person.
Ah, the High Sierras. We used to have a side business down the road in Bishop and I’ve spent a lot of time in the area. I haven’t been back since 2017 and a quick trip to Lake Sabrina. My late MIL had to be medivacked from Mammoth to Pasadena years ago - she had broken her pelvis in a fall and the elevation was causing her all sorts of problems. She hated flying and avoided it as much as possible but there was no way, as you know, to quickly get her down to the LA area without flying. And my dad has been flown twice from his small local hospital to larger hospitals an hour away. Thanks to you and all who do what you do!
I love your hair! And your approach to life 🙂 I'm also using my child-free life to help create fun experiences for my nieces they likely wouldn't get.
We’re also child free by choice, and absolutely LOVE that I’m the quirky minimalist aunt, with the unusual job, and the free time and disposal income to have really fun adventures. My 7yo niece has developed a love of sushi and libraries, and has learned to swim in the ocean with us among other things. It’s great that we get to model happiness in a non-traditional way. I think it helps them grow up evaluating what’s right for them rather than following the pack. Your job sounds awesome and you sound fulfilled ❤️
In California, Community Colleges are a great option for many students. If you meet certain requirements they are even a guaranteed acceptance to certain University of California campuses. However, it's important to be aware that only 20% of the students who attend community colleges with the intent to transfer to a 4 year university actually do so--it takes a highly motivated student to follow the pathway. My kids did not want to attend community colleges with all of their friends because--as one daughter put it--"it would feel like going to 13th grade". Very few of their peers went on to 4 year university programs and followed professional career paths.
(We are fortunate to live very close to a California State University so that my kids could get 4 year degrees and save money by living at home).
That's not to say that everyone MUST go to a 4 year university to get on in life, but it is to say that the students must be realistic about their goals and aspirations to get the most out of a community college education. For someone who is not sure about what they want to do, I love that Heather recognized it's a great and inexpensive way to explore options. And getting pesky GED requirements out of the way at a very low cost is extremely frugal.
California Community Colleges offer an excellent education at an affordable price.