What do you think?
Okay so here is my story I am 27-years old, and I am currently a college student at a community college seeking my degree. I am about 1-year out from obtaining my AA degree in my current major which is computer science, however, I feel as if the counselors and other administrators have been pushing me to finish without listening to my story(and believe me when I say I have gone to about 10 or more at this point). I have even stopped by the career center and still feel unheard. Anywho I was involved in an incident about 3–4 years in which I was in a DUI accident and when I say accident I mean people were injured. I do not live a day where I do not live with regret( no one died thank God!!!, and no one was severely injured). With that being said I now hold 3 felony charges including DUI, DUI hit n run, and above a .08 level(Yes I know I fucked up, and again I would do anything to take that day back!!.) Now with all that being said I just do not know what to do anymore, I do not know if I should even continue college, I have no idea what job/career will even accept me anymore. Am I wasting my time? Or am I not?? Please do not give me hate, I am seeking some advice and am in a desperate state in regards to my situation. I am not a bad person, I just made a mistake. And every day I have to live with that mistake so please hear me out and do not post anything hateful. I appreciate your time and your feedback. Thank you.
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12 Answers
Thank you for sharing your story with us. I believe that you should continue studying at the community college. The amount of time you take to earn your degree is up to you. You’re the boss of your schedule. When considering what to do, it’s often a good idea to seek the opinions of others, which you’ve done. There are advantages to speeding up your studies, and there are advantages to going slowly. You get to decide.
Good luck.
I suggest getting a Professional counsellor to handle the effects of guilt feelings and how to handle studies, once really heard you could very well reconcile your feelings and continue on forward to complete your course.
Just my opinion.
Wish you the best, but throw away your future just yet.
Finish college and do well in your chosen field. Have a skill that people/companies need.
Believe me, the felonies will mean less and less as the years pass. 5 years from now they will be meaningless.
My company hired a super competent electrical / RF engineer – even though he was a convicted felon. The felony had nothing to do with the work we needed done.
In fact New York State had a program where they would pay employers a bonus for hiring felons as part of a work integration program. We did not take the money.
No surprise, he turned out to be very loyal and dedicated.
You will be too.
Your life is not over.
I am a bit confused by your question.
First off, an AA degree doesn’t use a major, and is a two year degree. So, did you mean AA, or a different degree. You said you are a year from completion, so you’ve only been at it a year? Or have you been doing this part time?
I meant AA, however, I may be wrong. I am being told by counselors that I have to have a major/ degree chosen so I am just writing down what I am being told.
Be sure to document all of your counseling sessions (date and name) and continue to seek professional advice from every source available to you.
@shortdude11 My main point is you should not let that event and the felonies affect the rest of your life. Your mission is to put that in the past and get a s far from it as possible.
You should not use it as an excuse to take any easy, less productive routes It needs to be an inspiration for you.
You say that you regret what happened and it is no longer you. Prove it.
Your DUI record may be an issue for your future job prospects (or not). But in terms of your access to training & education it’s not a serious barrier – which is probably why counselors & advisors at your school don’t understand your concern and can’t offer help.
As others on this thread have already suggested, your best move at this point may be to focus on building your job skills and finding career opportunities. Getting into an advanced program and earning a BS/BA degree at university level makes sense, and financial aid should be available.
As far as your felony record, there’s a court process called expungement that may be available in your state depending on circumstances of your case. Generally to qualify for expungement you need to have paid off all related fines, served any jail time, and complete post conviction probation. If your state permits expungement & you’re eligible, the DUI will remain on your driving record for some additional time but the criminal conviction will be removed from your court history. Check out details at this link :
https://www.findlaw.com/dui/cases/dui-expungement-laws-by-state.html
So study hard, keep your nose clean, and good luck.
New York offers the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring individuals with barriers to employment including ex-felons .
Turn that black mark into an advantage. Be competent!
One of the Kennedy’s had a D.U.I. and maybe Bush Jr. It didn’t stop them from being successful politicians.
You can tell your story to M.A.A D. (Mother’s against drunk driving), or the equivalent where you live, and prevent accidents in others.
Thank you, everyone! All your messages have opened my eyes. I appreciate your time and answer.
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