Gearing up to start his next semester, Michael, a resident at Studios at Montero (SAM), is feeling excited and nervous. This past spring, Michael decided it was time to dust off his books and pursue his associate degree to help him land a fulfilling job.
Feeling ambitious, he mounted his e-bike and rode to start a full-time schedule of four classes at Santa Rosa Junior College that spanned across his general education and art major requirements. At first, going back to school was hard, but Michael was determined to succeed. He enjoyed his classes, his energetic professors, and learning about new mediums and artist inspirations, such as Hilma af Klint.
Then, life dealt Michael a hard stint of circumstances surrounding loved ones in his life. Reeling from that curveball and the nuances of school, Michael fell behind in his studies and decided to drop his fourth class. With only three classes and the support of SAM staff, he was able to persevere to finish the spring semester, noting that without a place like SAM and the supportive services COTS’ offers, he would probably have not ever been able to return to school, “It was my dream [to go back to school], but this place [SAM] makes it possible.”
Undeterred by the hiccups in his plans, Michael still has a great outlook for his academic career. He plans on pushing himself and getting his grade point average back up to a scholarship-qualifying level within the next semester. He will also retain his three-class schedule and, if successful, return to a four-course load in the spring. He plans to supplement his three-class schedule by enrolling in summer classes to help him remain on track to graduate in 2026.
Thank you to the COTS’ staff for supporting Michael to help him realize his goals and thank you to everyone who makes the work at Studios at Montero possible!