Cora Munsinger

Your Ridgewater Experience
I heard good things about Ridgewater College and it was in the city I was living in at the time. Growing up, I was in a bad place. I made a lot of risky choices and was a hot mess. My family was of low socioeconomic class so we didn’t have much and I had a hard time recognizing that I could dream bigger than retail or food service.

Luckily, I had family and friends that gave me the push I needed to gain momentum and confidence. My success in graduating from Ridgewater College helped me to plan and succeed in continuing my educational pursuits. I now have a bachelor’s degree in social work and am helping people better their lives after experiencing crisis. Its hard, but fulfilling work that I wouldn’t trade for anything else. I’m in a consistent and good spot with my career which is a wonderful feeling. I’m proud to say I can provide comfortably for me and my family.

Your Program
Honestly, when I started I had no clue what to do. I didn’t have a lot of confidence. My advisor helped me to sift through my talents and experience to work toward chemical dependency/social work. I have always been passionate about advocating for others. My life experience has put me in the company of many people in crisis or hardship so I have a strong understanding and non-judgmental stance.

Relationships with Faculty & Staff
Most of my teachers were supportive and understanding that I was a single mother trying so hard to get my life turned around. Honestly, there was only one teacher that was unsupportive. The most positive moment was when I finally passed Algebra. I was sick for months in middle school when we were learning the basics and my instructors just passed me to move me along. I was so lost in all of my math classes from there on out and frankly, I am shocked I even graduated. So, after retaking Algebra at Ridgewater three times I finally passed and it was one of the best moments of my educational career.