Inspiring mom wins first-year tuition

July 9, 2018

This spring, all new full-time domestic students who paid their tuition deposit on time were entered into a contest to win their first-year tuition fees.

The lucky winner is Brittney Kenny, a hard-working, energetic single mother. Brittney starts the Law Clerk diploma program at the Barrie Campus this fall. We interviewed her about her journey to Georgian, and what it meant to win the draw.

How did it feel when you learned you had won?

When I got the email, I was extremely happy! I had just decided to go back to school and it took a long time to make the decision. I have a son. He’s four. And I’m just getting to a place where I can do some things for myself. Winning the contest just gave me the feeling that everything is coming together. Everything’s going to be alright.

I’ve had some huge roadblocks, but my family is really supportive. Some of them were saying it was a sign I was making the choice. That it was obviously meant to be.

Financially, it’s a struggle to go back to school – especially full-time – when you have a child. I’ll be leaving a good, full-time job to do this. But this just made it all seem like I was going in the right direction.

Tell us about your son

His name’s Colton. He’s busy! Very rambunctious. Definitely has a great sense of humour. He’s just a ball of energy and joy. Everyone says he’s the sweetest little boy.

My son also has a disability; he’s hearing impaired. He wears hearing aids and can still hear some sounds and make out some words, but he can only say up to 10 words. His hearing will get worse as time goes on and he’s not a candidate for cochlear implants – so we’re working to set him up for success. Some things have been difficult, but he isn’t letting them stop him. We’re trying to get him into sports because he’s so busy. I’m looking into learning sign language.

Why did you decide to go back to school?

Colton is a little more independent and a little older. He’s not a baby attached to my hip anymore, so it’s a little more comfortable to go do something for myself. We’ll go through this journey together. I have lots of family around me. I’ll have my little sidekick.

Really, it’s Colton who pushed me to do this. I’m looking for a career that will set me up for the rest of our lives. But I’m also doing it for me.

Why the Law Clerk program?

I’ve always had an interest in law, and more or less the family law field – partly from my past experience, because my parents have been divorced since I was two. I’ve seen the struggles from both sides. I’ve also gone through stuff in my personal life. I want to help families through tough situations by working at a family law firm.

What do you think will be challenging about college?

It’s been so long since I was at school. And it took me awhile to finally make that decision. My biggest challenge will be adjusting. Right now I work hard all day, but I can shut things off at night. With college I’ll have assignments; I’ll be balancing out home life with school life; and I’ll be adjusting to being back.

What are you looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to meeting new people, potentially with a similar background as me. They might also be a single parent, trying to get somewhere. I’m excited about making new connections.