Student Spotlight: Amanda Murphy – Learning to Value Herself
[Summer 2024 Intern Erika Scharf wrote this article. She attends Oberlin College]
If you don’t believe in you, what’s the point?
The first step is always the hardest. Amanda Murphy knows that better than anyone.
Amanda, 45, has been coming to Seeds of Literacy on and off since 2011. The hardest part of starting anything is that initial step. For her, what inspired her to take that first step to reigniting her education was her kids.
“My daughter wasn’t too good at math. I was trying to teach her how to do it, then I figured, it’s never too late to go back,” she said.
LIFE HAPPENS
Amanda is originally from Cleveland, but when she was younger, her family moved around a lot. This made it especially harder for her in school.
“I left school in 11th grade. I also spent some time in a group home in West Virginia, which made it very hard for me and my education,” she explains. “I used to stay in Huntington, West Virginia, and when I moved up here when I was 18, I was trying to transfer back into school. I don’t know what happened, but….Life happened.”
She came upon Seeds of Literacy after meeting someone who encouraged her to start. Going back to school after years of not finishing it is scary, vulnerable, and nerve- wracking. But Amanda was willing to try.
“I wanted to do better, show my kids more opportunities. Since I never finished school, I always wanted to get my GED. I had four kids, and with Seeds, I finally had an opportunity to go back. Being here gave me more opportunities than I thought.”
Now, she has the confidence to better her own education as well as her children’s. “While they’re at school, I come to school. That way at night I can do my homework, and they can do their homework, and if they needed help, I could do it.”
Amanda and her kids inspire and motivate each other. Like most people, math was the hardest subject for her when she began studying at Seeds. To pass the GED, there are different levels of math a student must master: Core, which includes division, multiplication, addition, and subtraction. The next set of skills are Essential, percentages and decimals, then Advanced, with probability and pre-algebra. One of the final steps, which most people struggle with, is Algebra. Though math is challenging, Amanda’s hard work has paid off.
“It took me a while,” she says. “Now I’m in algebra. So I came a long way.”
THE VALUE OF LEARNING
While she admits that she doesn’t necessarily have a favorite subject, what she does love is the ability to learn and expand her mind, something she never experienced before.
“I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here, you know, stuff I never even knew. Back in the day when we were younger, I don’t think you learn as much as you do now,” she says. “You learn everything, you learn new things every day, which is good here. I love it.”
Pictured, Amanda (green shirt) gathers with other Ambassadors
FINDING COMMUNITY
But it’s not just educational aspects like math, science, or social studies that Amanda is learning at Seeds of Literacy, it’s also communication. Having the supportive community of staff, tutors, and students at Seeds gives Amanda confidence to strike up conversations with others and learn about each other.
“It helped me with communication with other people. Since I had a stroke, it kind of slurred my speech, but now, it’s like they notice a lot more about me. They know more about me than I know about myself. I’m learning myself.”
Amanda’s role as a Student Ambassador also helps her confidence in communication and gives her the joys of a newfound community. She finds the community and camaraderie between the students, as well as the connection to the tutors and staff, to be some of the most rewarding parts of being a Seeds Student Ambassador.
“People here motivate you, call and check up on you. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people with these events and everything. It helps me in many different ways,” she says. “I always have fun being here at Seeds. That’s for sure.”
A NEW BOOST OF CONFIDENCE
It’s safe to say that Amanda truly loves Seeds, and that her time here has given her the confidence and determination to do anything she puts her mind to.
“Everything has improved for me since I started to come to Seeds. It has impacted everything in my life. I want to do more because of Seeds. I would recommend Seeds to anyone—no matter how old or young you are.”
Like so many Seeds students, Amanda echoes the statements that you’re never too old, and it’s never too late to restart your education. Her main advice: Don’t listen to the noise.
“Don’t let life get you down. Don’t let other people tell you otherwise. Listen to yourself. Believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in you, then what’s the point? It’s just as simple as that. Whatever you wanna do in your life, just go for it.”
Pictured, Amanda “photobombed” a shot of volunteers from Progressive.
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- Ambassador Charise’s journey from homemaking to homework
- Ambassador Shanta’s stroke prompted her to seek GED
- Ambassador Carol Overcomes Algebra
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- Ambassador Iris Grew in Nashville
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