Student Given a Second Chance
By KARA GAE NEAL
Superintendent
MAKING THE GRADE: Brandy Storey works beside her professor in the morning at Tulsa Tech.
Courtesy Tulsa Tech
At one time or another each one of us has probably wished that we could’ve had a second chance; a chance to make a different choice, a different decision, or choose a different path.
Several years ago, Brandy Storey was a scared young woman desperately wishing for a second chance. She wondered how she had arrived at certain place in her life through poor choices, bad relationships, and feelings of low self-worth. Although Storey realized that she faced many obstacles, and the odds were stacked against her, she was determined to use her past failures, along with her strength and courage, to transform her life from just another statistic into a story of achievement and success.
“I decided it was time to reclaim my life,” Brandy said. “It was time to reclaim my courage and use the second chance that I had been given to head in a different, more positive direction.”
This mother of four decided to enroll in the Machining Technology class at Tulsa Tech’s Broken Arrow Campus for herself and for her children.
“My father and my uncle were machinists,” Brandy said. “It was something that I thought I might be able to do and it might be a career which would help me and my family.”
To say that this young woman has not wasted the second chance she’s been given would be an understatement. Not only has Storey successfully completed two years of machining training, but she has accomplished this goal while working full-time at Green Country Aircraft and attending class from 6:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. every working day. In two years of demanding coursework, this member of the National Technical Honor Society has never missed a day of class while maintaining a 97 percent grade average.
According to Mike Dean, one of Tulsa Tech’s Machining Technology instructors with over 45 years of industry experience, Storey has a certain drive and determination that many of his younger students should practice.
“She approaches everything with one-hundred percent,” Mr. Dean states. “Brandy completes everything I assign her. If she doesn’t get it the first time, then she just keeps trying until she does. Students like Brandy make it very rewarding to be an instructor.”
The respect is mutual and Storey is quick to acknowledge both the instruction that she has received from Mr. Dean and his willingness to accommodate her early morning schedule.
“Mr. Dean is a great instructor and a great person,” Storey said. “He’s taught me so much and has always challenged me. He’s also here every morning at 6:30 a.m.”
Storey is definitely taking full advantage of the second chance that she has been given, and it?s clear that she will succeed in whatever direction she travels.
If you’re currently looking for quality business and industry training, exciting classes for high school students, or simply seeking another chance in a new direction, Tulsa Tech invites you to visit today. For more information, please call (918) 828-5200 or visit us online at www.tulsatech.edu.
Updated 07-20-2009
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