Tracey Powers is ready to learn. This mother of two is embracing QCC as an opportunity to expand her knowledge and grow her skill set, while inspiring an educational atmosphere for her next generation.
After a difficult high school experience, Tracey’s focus wasn’t on going to college. She worked in various culinary settings and had two children within two years of each other. Taking care of her kids and working became the main priority, and she didn’t think college was possible.
As Tracey’s children got older, she wanted to support them in bigger ways and yearned for a career that afforded more resources. In 2024, she gained flexibility in her work hours, so she decided to enroll at QCC, taking online courses to maximize her time.
While she is eager to learn course content, Tracey also realized the need to become familiar with college processes. She emphasized the First Year Experience (FYE) course as a great foundation to accomplish this, especially for someone who has been out of school for so long.
At the start of her second summer course, she ran into a few unexpected setbacks. With the fast pace of a summer class, she started to feel overwhelmed and worried that she wouldn’t be able to catch up. Instead of giving up, she went back to the techniques she learned in FYE to recalibrate and stay focused.
“If I didn’t take that course, I’d be so lost,” she said. “It’s been quite the learning experience. I really appreciate that FYE shows you the ins and outs of the college.”
Tracey's children have also taken notice of their mother’s higher education venture.
“I’m very vocal about what I’m doing,” Tracey said of her quest for knowledge, which includes voracious reading (she’s up to 17 books this year).
Her son attended an open house on campus with her, and her daughter has been hitting the books through a summer reading program at their local library.
Currently, Tracey is considering a career as a nutritionist. Along with guiding people with their health and weight goals, she wants to help young women with eating disorders, something she experienced herself.
“I was very misguided when I was young, and if I had better information, it could’ve gone differently,” she shared.
Keeping her eyes open for new possibilities, Tracey is also exploring other areas where she could make a difference, such as library science and human services.
As if this wasn’t enough, Tracey is always thinking of new ways to keep her mind active and already has another goal: “I’ve heard learning an instrument is good for your brain.”
We can’t wait to see what Tracey will learn next and where she will take her QCC journey!