<p>Quick Note:
Hello everyone,</p>
<h2>Let me start off by saying my story is a bit unusual (probably not unheard of, though). The advice I am looking for is about my future / options. I'm going to just jump right into it, since it might end up being a bit of a read. I do apologize for this, but a lot of factors played into it all at once. (Also, since I know some will probably think little of me, I do accept my role in things and have matured significantly since 2009)</h2>
<p>In high school I was always one of the students the teachers knew by name (mostly because I genuinely got along with my teachers well), and who made above average grades. I studied (most things did come naturally for me, though) and I made sure to try never to go below a B in school (I usually had A's). I was a member of a few extra-curricular activities (such as Key Club, FBLA, Choir, a christian group that met before school, I volunteered, I even tried Cheerleading for a year). I know that doesn't make me sound too stellar, but there it is. I applied early-decision to a community college, knowing I would get in without SAT's (and I did as a first-choice student with a scholarship to boot). </p>
<p>Here is where things go a bit haywire. </p>
<p>I enjoyed my first week of classes (I was just doing general studies, until I transferred for my core specifics), until family emergencies popped up. My mom, who thank heavens is ok, had to go into the hospital on two separate occasions. On the first occasion she needed stints in her heart (she beat the widow maker just in time), and on the second she had to have her back surgically operated on (degenerative disc disease; they filed her discs down). </p>
<p>I'm half blind and have trouble seeing (depth-perception issues) so I never got my license (though I've failed 6 times I keep trying). Being from suburbs, as you could imagine, this meant I was dependent on being driven around. When my mother returned from the hospital she needed constant care (making sure her bandages were changed, etc.). I had to, obviously, quit attending college temporarily. This meant my grades slid. I was basically put on academic probation.</p>
<p>I was so upset I did the most...idiotic (?).. thing I could possibly do, which is run with my tail between my legs.. I was intimidated by the idea that 1)I needed to appeal to get financial aid back and 2) without financial aid there was just no way I could attend college (put bluntly, we can barely afford ramen let alone a textbook). So I basically disappeared off the radar and took a break from college from 09-13.</p>
<p>My question is this: knowing that I messed up, is there any possibility of re-instating my financial aid? How would I go about it? IF there's no hope for that, is there any hope AT ALL for me to go to college? I've always been very serious about school (I still want to be a professor one day if that is even still possible). I am sure being immature (and frightened and intimidated for silly reasons) is not going to "fly". I can obviously produce proof from the surgeon/hospital that my mom was indeed admitted.</p>
<p>The second part of this question is: have I permanently ruined any chance of (assuming I DO get back into CC) going on to graduate school?</p>
<p>There's more to this story (such as me basically almost ending up homeless) but I Feel this is long enough as it is.. (Let's just say I've had a very difficult life and due to the economy it only got more difficult to provide basic necessities..Sometimes we can't afford rent/utilities/groceries/gas..On those weeks [It does last weeks] it's miserable...)</p>
<p>Education is quite literally my passion.. I just want to know if there's any hope or if I have so royally screwed myself over I should just get a minimum-wage job.</p>