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Ramona V. Newsom had not planned on going back to school. She had other more immediate concerns. She went to great lengths to leave an abusive marriage, moving to Salina, Kansas from another town for a fresh start in her life.
Ramona joined the staff of St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church in Salina, Kansas as the Minister of Music, playing piano for services and overseeing three choirs. She happened upon Brown Mackie College — Salina when the school was moving to a different location and donating unneeded office furniture to the church.
It was hard to pass by the one-class-a-month format and flexible schedule. Ramona enrolled in the Associate of Applied Science in Business Management program. “I graduated third in my high school class, but after 28 years I didn’t know if I still had it in me to succeed,” Ramona said. “It was challenging because of my church commitments. I have major OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] and being able to focus on one class made it easier to get through. Multiple classes would have driven me crazy,” she continued.
Ramona earned her Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Management in 2006 from Brown Mackie College — Salina and now holds an administrative position at KLA Environmental Services, Inc. in Salina, Kansas. Her duties include proofreading, standardization, process development, and office management. She still works at the church with five choirs, the groups including youth, young adults, men, adults, and anybody who wants to sing.
“The ultimate thing about Brown Mackie College — Salina is how they helped me grow. I am able to talk about my past hardships because of the assignments I received. I was asked to reach deep inside and write about something in my life. I wrote about my issues and it helped me to deal with it,” said Ramona. “I’m pleased that I did well. The climate at Brown Mackie College — Salina allows students to be successful, even with stuff going on in your life. They made it possible for me to get my work done. The staff and faculty all helped.”
She names Evelyn Hyde, Faculty Development Coordinator/Instructor from Brown Mackie — Salina, as a favorite teacher. “Going back to school was harder than I thought it would be,” said Ramona. “Had she not encouraged me when I wanted to give up, I wouldn’t have met any of the others.”
Ramona reminds adults who think about going back to school “there is a way. When juggling life and pursuing education, being in a comfortable, accommodating environment helps.” Now carrying on with a new life and a new career, Ramona says an old friend told her she seems like a whole different person.
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