Something that inspired Rodney Ivy and has become symbolic of his journey is a quote that he heard during a class, “There’s nothing more powerful than a changed mind.”
“Once I changed my mind about what I could do, my heart changed and I began to excel.”
Rodney graduated from Marion High School in 2007, went to University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and proceeded to follow a path that many first year freshmen fall into.
He started out strong and then got side-tracked along the way. By the end of his first semester, he was partying and spending time with friends and not devoting enough time to his studies. Fortunately, his strong start helped salvage his first semester grades, but he knew they could have been much better. By the end of spring semester, he decided to come home, work through the summer and try to get back on track. All the while, he knew he was capable of so much more.
A friend suggested he look into then Mid-South Community College rather than try to return to UAPB. He took Algebra I, Composition I and Business Communications. During this time, he struggled and failed Algebra. He was placed on academic probation. He took Algebra I again during the spring semester. Again, he struggled and failed. Academic probation required that he sit out a year. He sat out more than a year, working a series of uninspiring jobs until he’d had enough.
“Life for me prior to Fall 2014 was a mess!” says Rodney. But things began to turn around for him in Fall 2014 when he came back to MSCC.
Rodney decided that he was going to tackle his nemesis, Algebra I.
Rodney’s instructor, Daphne Jones, told the class that if they made A’s on all the exams over the course of the semester, they would be exempt from taking the final exam. Rodney had a goal! He came to campus every day and worked on Algebra from 8 AM to 5 PM. He was determined that he would not let Algebra I get the best of him one more time.
By the end of the semester, Rodney had made A’s on all of his homework and all four of the exams. He did not have to take the final exam.
By Spring 2015 and Fall 2015, he was making A’s in all his courses. He began to get involved in campus activities. He began to see that he could be involved and still maintain his grades. He succeeds by setting goals to help him stay focused. His goal for Fall 2015 was to raise his GPA high enough to qualify for Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. He began Fall 2015 with a 3.465. He needed a 3.5 to qualify. By the end of the semester, he had earned a 3.6 GPA.
Spring of 2016 rolled around and Rodney began to be invited to events, join committees and speak in meetings. He began earning scholarships and qualified for work-study. Every success feeds his hunger for more success and helps him work harder to achieve his goals.
Rodney will graduate from ASU Mid-South in May 2017 with two degrees, an AA in General Education and an AS in Business. From here, he plans to work toward his Bachelor of Business Administration through the ASU Degree Center here on campus. “This is more than just school for me. It’s like home. There’s a calming sense when I am here. I’ve learned things here that have helped me grow as a person and even helped me improve my own family relationships.”
Rodney’s next goal is his undergraduate degree and a Masters by the time he’s 30. Maybe even a PhD by 35 or 40. He hopes to work in post secondary education or in the education system. Serving as a tutor has shown him a career path.
Rodney is reflective of his time on campus. While he has gained knowledge from his course work, he feels he’s also benefitted in other ways from his classes. Here is a list of life lessons he’s learned from ASU Mid-South faculty:
- Never give up.
- Always go the extra mile.
- Do it for yourself.
- You can find direction in life. The path to get to your goal can change.
- There is not always only one path to reach a career goal.
- Learn to really dig deep to express yourself on paper.
- Learn how to approach different things with words.
- Sometimes knowing even the most simple of things can be an asset for you and help you have a competitive edge. Appreciate the small things.
- Don’t take things for granted.
- Know the law. Ignorance of the law is your own disadvantage – even with a lawyer.
- Analyze things and pay more attention to how things work out – see how two sides can come together and find common ground.
- Learn to listen.
- Pay attention to detail.
- Learn to write well and coherently.
- Respect time. Be punctual – be early. Be early and be prepared.
- Try to learn different ways of learning.
- Learn to be comfortable with yourself in front of people.
- Learn to be a team player. You’re going to need to be cooperating for the rest of your life.
