My name is Ramona Underwood. I grew up in Albertville Alabama. I have two sisters, and two brothers, and I am the oldest of the four. I quit school in 1968 at age 15 and got married. I have two children a son named Tracy, and a daughter named Michelle. After I had raised my two children I went back to school in 1990and got a GED. I started to college at Snead State JR. College in Boaz. I had an 8th grade education and I knew this was going to be hard for me. I had been in school for about a year when my daughter got married at age 17, and had a baby a year later. About 2 years after her baby was born, she started getting sick. At this time I was only taking academics at Snead. I had to leave school for awhile, and take car of her. After about a year of stating very sick, my daughter had to be rushed to UAB in Birmingham because our local hospital could not find out what was wrong with her. She had gone into convulsions before she was sent to UAB, and had a near death experience. Michelle told me she was traveling down a long dark tunnel, and could not stop herself. She said she tried to catch hold of the walls of the tunnel, but couldn't. She also told me she saw her whole life pass before her as she was traveling down the tunnel at a very fast speed. After being admitted to UAB, Michelle had to go through a series of test for days. She was later diagnosed with chron's desease. This has been seventeen years ago and she as had three operations where four and one half feet of her intestines have been removed. I have spent a lot of prayerful days, and nights with her at hospitals. She is doing fine now and as been healed by GOD of chron's desease.
I started back to college in 1993, and got an LPN nursing degree. I worked as a nurse for five years, then decided to go back to college and get a Social Work Degree. I started to Jacksonville State University in May of 1999. I finshed this degree in two 1/2, years and graduated in December of 2001. After I received my BSW, I enrolled into the masters degree counseling program at JSU. I had finished this program except the last semester when I fell at work, and hurt my knees and back. I could no longer climb the stairs at JSU. My doctor sent letters to JSU explaining why I could no longer attend college at that time. I spoke to my professors and told them what had happened, they said they would give me a withdraw with passing, but I later found out when I tried to go back to finish the last semester to graduate they had given me withdraws with f's. I was heart broken and I have tried to talk to the dean of JSU and find out what I could to remove these f's but they will not work with me. They have refused to let me come back to the college and finish that last semester, so I can graduate and get my masters counseling degree.
I have decided to pursue a teaching degree in Special Education here at Alabama A&M. I like the college very much, and All the staff here are very nice, and helpful. I think that a degree in special ed. will be rewarding because there are so many children who can benefit from these classes.I will love this career in teaching because I like the school setting, and I work as a school nurse at the present time.
Ramona Underwood