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Kara Conway is an instructor at Roseburg's Confidence Clinic. A graduate of the program, Conway is able to identify with the students, many of whom have told her she's an inspiration to them.
Kara Conway dropped out of high school in Glide at the beginning her sophomore year because she didn't see the point.
“I had better things to do,” she said. “It was boring.”
But these days the Umpqua Community College student and scholarship recipient thinks school is far from dull.
“Now I've found out that it's one of the things I love most,” she said.
She credits this transformation to Roseburg's Confidence Clinic — a service offered through the United Community Action Network — which provides academic and life skills training to women. A successful graduate of the program, she's now teaching in the same place where she once was a student.
Conway, 29, first came to the clinic three years ago as a single mother with no income or education.
She'd just moved back to Douglas County from Washington, where she lived for nine years with her son's father. Wanting to get her GED, she found out about the Confidence Clinic through a friend, who told her it was “the most wonderful place in the world.”
At first, Conway wasn't inclined to agree. She didn't see why she had to take other classes besides the GED ones and just wanted to get it all over with.
“One week before graduation I thought, ‘Oh, this is not working at all,' ” she said.
On the day of graduation she received notice that she'd passed her GED — it had taken her just 10 weeks to earn it — and a shift occurred.
“For the first time in my life I realized I was smart,” she said. “I think that made all the difference, knowing that I could do it.”
Following this epiphany, Conway volunteered to help lead a cleanup project at the clinic. She was also accepted as an AmeriCorps volunteer, assisting in classes at the Confidence Clinic.
When a position opened up for an instructor about a year ago, she was hired. She now teaches three human development classes covering topics such as life and career planning.
“It's my chance to give back to what made a big difference in my life,” she said.
Working as an instructor at the Confidence Clinic, Conway said she has been able to use her own personal experience to her advantage.
“I think it's the best thing that can happen in a classroom environment,” she said. “It's easy for me to be able to say, ‘I've sat where you've been.'”
Some of these students, she said, haven't encountered a lot of other women to whom they can relate, women who have conquered the odds against them. Participants have told her that she serves as an inspiration to them.
“It's kind of nice for them to see someone who's gone through the same or similar situation,” she said.
Victoria Rodriguez, program director at the Confidence Clinic, said she always goes to Conway for advice when she wants to make a program change. Conway, she said, has come up with a lot of great ideas for improving the clinic.
“It's really helpful to have someone who identifies with the needs of our client base,” she said. “She's been an incredible asset.”
One of things that most impressed Cindi Corrie, who was an instructor at the Confidence Clinic while Conway was an AmeriCorps volunteer, was Conway's drive.
“The thing I really liked about her was that she is really on a quest for knowledge ... the ones that you come across like that, you can tell they want to change their lives and mean it.”
This quest for knowledge has led Conway to UCC, where she is studying human services. She plans to transfer to the University of Oregon after earning her associate's degree and major in psychology. She recently received the Ford ReStart Scholarship to go towards these studies. She hopes to get a master's degree.
Conway said she tries to help her students realize, as she has, the power of hard work. She credits her success to it.
“I think if I hadn't worked so hard I wouldn't be teaching today ... Before I came (to the Confidence Clinic) I was pretty down and hopeless and now I think there's no limit to what can be accomplished,” she said.
• You can reach reporter Inka Bajandas at 957-4202 or by e-mail at ibajandas@nrtoday.com.
“I had better things to do,” she said. “It was boring.”
But these days the Umpqua Community College student and scholarship recipient thinks school is far from dull.
“Now I've found out that it's one of the things I love most,” she said.
She credits this transformation to Roseburg's Confidence Clinic — a service offered through the United Community Action Network — which provides academic and life skills training to women. A successful graduate of the program, she's now teaching in the same place where she once was a student.
Conway, 29, first came to the clinic three years ago as a single mother with no income or education.
She'd just moved back to Douglas County from Washington, where she lived for nine years with her son's father. Wanting to get her GED, she found out about the Confidence Clinic through a friend, who told her it was “the most wonderful place in the world.”
At first, Conway wasn't inclined to agree. She didn't see why she had to take other classes besides the GED ones and just wanted to get it all over with.
“One week before graduation I thought, ‘Oh, this is not working at all,' ” she said.
On the day of graduation she received notice that she'd passed her GED — it had taken her just 10 weeks to earn it — and a shift occurred.
“For the first time in my life I realized I was smart,” she said. “I think that made all the difference, knowing that I could do it.”
Following this epiphany, Conway volunteered to help lead a cleanup project at the clinic. She was also accepted as an AmeriCorps volunteer, assisting in classes at the Confidence Clinic.
When a position opened up for an instructor about a year ago, she was hired. She now teaches three human development classes covering topics such as life and career planning.
“It's my chance to give back to what made a big difference in my life,” she said.
Working as an instructor at the Confidence Clinic, Conway said she has been able to use her own personal experience to her advantage.
“I think it's the best thing that can happen in a classroom environment,” she said. “It's easy for me to be able to say, ‘I've sat where you've been.'”
Some of these students, she said, haven't encountered a lot of other women to whom they can relate, women who have conquered the odds against them. Participants have told her that she serves as an inspiration to them.
“It's kind of nice for them to see someone who's gone through the same or similar situation,” she said.
Victoria Rodriguez, program director at the Confidence Clinic, said she always goes to Conway for advice when she wants to make a program change. Conway, she said, has come up with a lot of great ideas for improving the clinic.
“It's really helpful to have someone who identifies with the needs of our client base,” she said. “She's been an incredible asset.”
One of things that most impressed Cindi Corrie, who was an instructor at the Confidence Clinic while Conway was an AmeriCorps volunteer, was Conway's drive.
“The thing I really liked about her was that she is really on a quest for knowledge ... the ones that you come across like that, you can tell they want to change their lives and mean it.”
This quest for knowledge has led Conway to UCC, where she is studying human services. She plans to transfer to the University of Oregon after earning her associate's degree and major in psychology. She recently received the Ford ReStart Scholarship to go towards these studies. She hopes to get a master's degree.
Conway said she tries to help her students realize, as she has, the power of hard work. She credits her success to it.
“I think if I hadn't worked so hard I wouldn't be teaching today ... Before I came (to the Confidence Clinic) I was pretty down and hopeless and now I think there's no limit to what can be accomplished,” she said.
• You can reach reporter Inka Bajandas at 957-4202 or by e-mail at ibajandas@nrtoday.com.
