Melissa Kaylene: Why haven't you finished your dreams?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Western Governors University. The opinions and text are all mine.

Well, today is my last day in my full work week stretch. It’s been good, yet incredibly busy. The house is a mess, I’m behind on a bunch of stuff, and I am thoroughly exhausted. Whenever I fill in for a stretch of more than a couple of days I really begin to appreciate that I don’t have to work outside of the home full time, at least not while the kids are little.

Even though I’m glad I’m not out busting my butt forty + hours a week away from the kids, I’m forever grateful for the decision I made to go back to school and become a nurse. I may have mentioned it before a long time ago, but when I was pregnant with Anika I was young, scared, and broke. I knew I needed to find a job that would provide me with a stable career and above minimum wage pay – so I took a class and became a C.N.A. (Certified Nurse’s Aide). I worked as a C.N.A. for many years, moving my way up to working in the hospital, and I had always tossed the idea back and forth whether or not to go back to school. I knew I couldn't do the physically demanding work that I was doing forever, and I was close to maxing out on the top of the pay scale, but I was still scared to make that leap.

2008 was a challenging year for us – we had recently purchased out home, Miss Emma was born, and Wayne lost his job. I didn't know what to do at that point – and then towards the end of the year I did it – something inside of me knew now was the time - I applied to school to finish what I had started 5 years prior. Everything fell into place – one of my co-workers at the time ended up getting accepted into the same program as I did and she lived in the same small town, so we commuted together. I was blessed and found the best babysitter I could ask for and she lived within the school bus route so Anika could ride there after school.

It was incredibly hard for me to leave my 1 year old as I went to school every day, but I kept telling myself that it was just for one year and then I would have the flexibility in my schedule again so I wouldn't miss out on things. I knew that if I became a nurse I could always financially support my family if I had to, and that if Wayne ever had job problems again I wouldn't have to work twice as much just to make the same pay.

I graduated the course in November 2009, and passed the NCLEX on Dec. 31, 2009. I was fifteen weeks pregnant with Noah at that time.

Now I am confident that if anything ever happened that I can take care of my family. When we had our pinning ceremony I had never seen my dad so proud – you see, he himself had never graduated from High School, and I know that it's been a hard thing for him to live with, but by me graduating he had felt like he did accomplish something - and he did. He always worked his hardest to support us, and I know that he has always done the best he could to support his family, and I wanted to do the same. It made me feel good that I had stuck with it and finished, that I could show my kids if I could do it, anyone could.

Since I became a nurse I've worked part time and on call and it’s turned out great. I can work here and there and make a little extra money to help out, and I have a flexible schedule so I don’t have to miss any of the kids’ activities.

If you've been thinking about going back to school, Western Governor’s University is one worth checking into. They are a nonprofit, accredited university and have a unique approach to learning. Their goals are to address the obstacles facing those who are looking to advance or enter a new phase of their career – such as budget and scheduling restraints.

Western Governor’s University excels in four main areas: Business, information technology, education, and nursing. They have a competency based learning schedule – meaning it’s not about the hours you spend sitting in a classroom, but about the knowledge you have! WGU is half the cost of other online schools and a lot of flexibility, and right now they are even waiving their enrollment fee when you use the code: WONDER .