Yay, Mommy! Concorde helps young mother turn life around

A little more than a year ago, life was looking pretty daunting to Amanda Hensley.

Her life was being turned upside down as she navigated through a painful divorce. All of a sudden, the San Antonio resident found herself raising two small children by herself. There were bills to pay, mouths to feed. The future was anything but bright.

"It was uncharted territory for me," Hensley said. "My worries and concerns were focused on (her children's) general well-being."

Hensley's situation forced her to take a long, hard look in the mirror at the choices which had brought her to her current standing. That included a past failed attempt at attending college.

"I found it difficult and made a million excuses to quit," she said.

Making her break

Hensley was equally unsuccessful at finding a job to support her family. Then, one day, while thumbing through an employment advertising book, she spotted an ad for Concorde Career College.

At first, she said she set it aside. It wouldn't be atypical for her to just forget about it. But, this time something kept pulling her back. Finally, days later, she picked up the phone and left a message stating that she was interested in obtaining more information.

She received a call back almost immediately and scheduled an appointment with a Concorde-San Antonio representative the next day.

"I walked in with my children and was honestly terrified," Hensley said. "But, I was able to begin classes the same week."

Inspiration to keep going

As Hensley proceeded through the Medical Office Administration program, her divorce proceedings were ongoing, and there were times she thought her world was falling apart. She had no job, no child support, and her vehicle had been repossessed. She had tons of bills due, child-care costs ... she was facing homelessness.

She said one thing kept her going ... the learning she was doing every day in her classes at Concorde.

"As I completed each module, I gained more and more confidence in myself and my ability to graduate," Hensley said. "It was a wonderful feeling. I studied like I had never studied before. I'd get out of class, go home, relieve the sitter, take care of my kids and, once they went down for the night, I studied. Many nights, I stayed up most of the night."

Landing the job in Medical Office Administration

The hard work paid off, and Hensley recently graduated with a diploma in Medical Office Administration.

Not only that, but she was hired from the site of her externship and is gainfully employed and getting back on her feet. She credits the support she received from her instructors and staff for keeping her on a path to success.

"The best feeling in the world was when I walked across the stage (during graduation), and my kids stood on their chairs and screamed, 'Yay, Mommy!' I had tears in my eyes and was, for the first time in a long time, proud of myself."

PHOTO NOTE: Image shown is not Amanda Hensley.