By Dawn Papandrea
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"I decided to get a degree after both my daughters graduated from college and moved away from home," says the 49-year-old mom. "It was filling a void of the 'empty nest syndrome' and not wanting to be the only one in my family without a college education."
McGreevy also chose online education to springboard from her position as a secretary for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice (SDCJ).
"I didn't have time to sit in a classroom for three or four hours a night."
Besides her day job, McGreevy also volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with Western Turnpike Rescue Squad. That's why she knew if she ever got her degree, it would have to be done within the confines of her intense schedule. Hudson Valley's program fit her needs.
"It was convenient, affordable, and offered everything I was interested in. They also have an excellent reputation as a community college," she says. So in September 2000, McGreevy enrolled. "I enjoyed the fact that I could do the assignments or tests at midnight if I wanted to."
Going back to school after such a long time, however, was a challenge, she says. Like many women who graduated high school in the mid 1970s, college wasn't exactly a priority.
"I immediately went to work. At that time, the majority of my classmates did the same," she recalls. "Several months after graduating I got married, and had my first daughter in 1975, after which I stayed home to care for her. I didn't return to work until [my youngest daughter, born in 1978] was around four years old."
Brenda joined the Rescue Squad in 1996, an activity she loves, and one that sparked her interest in continuing her education.
"We are required to recertify as an EMT every three years in New York State. This requires taking continuing education classes on a regular basis and testing our practical skills such as airway management, patient and trauma assessments, bleeding and fracture management, CPR, and automated external defibrillators," she says.
McGreevy is currently the crew chief on her shift. "I have been involved in several cardiac and respiratory arrest reversals, which is a tremendous thrill as an EMT. I have also helped deliver a baby in the front seat of a car," she adds.
"My work with the rescue squad is my passion. Becoming an EMT has turned out to be one of the most rewarding things I have ever done."
"I was stressed out a lot while taking the classes."
The nature of online programs is that students must be highly motivated. McGreevy learned that lesson firsthand, and actually found herself with motivation overload.
"I tend to be an overachiever, and would spend days working on reports and studying for tests I knew most of the other students would only glance at," she explains. "If the professor wanted a term paper that was at least 15 pages long, I would write one that was 30 pages. My greatest fear was not getting an 'A' in a class."
Luckily, she got off to a good start. "The first term paper I submitted ['The Psychopathic Personality'] for a class ended up winning an award for Excellence in Research from the HVCC Library. I felt a tremendous amount of satisfaction getting the award, as did my professor, since it was the first time any of her students' submissions had won."
Still, juggling daily tasks with schoolwork wasn't easy for the self-proclaimed perfectionist. Luckily, Brenda benefited from a strong support system.
"My office is filled with former police officers, probation officers, attorneys, and other criminal justice-related personnel. We also have a full library of criminal justice-related articles and materials."
Even nicer, adds Brenda, her colleagues at work took the time to supplement her studies with hands-on instruction. "The deputy commissioner asked one of his staff to show me how to interpret fingerprints, and the employee spent several hours teaching me what he knew about them. I was also given demonstrations on some of the new criminal justice tools that made me more knowledgeable about the equipment than some of the professors who hadn't even seen it in use."
In addition, McGreevy says her daughters have been very supportive of her educational goals. "They were great about understanding that I needed to spend a lot of time doing homework, and they were always encouraging me. They did, however, tell me that no one spends as much time on assignments as I do."
Still, Brenda faced many difficult moments during her degree quest. During finals week last December, for example, she moved into a new home while going through a separation from her husband of 30 years. "Trying to sort through a house full of 30 years of accumulated items, studying for finals, and trying to deal with emotional distress was traumatic for me."
Through it all, Brenda made sure she logged into her classes to get her assignments. She also participated in the class discussion boards, and e-mailed her professors with questions.
By May 2004, her hard work paid off. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and is currently on a list for a police trainer position.
Next up for Brenda? "I'm considering continuing on and getting a bachelor's degree in a criminal justice-related field, and would only consider doing so if I were able to take the majority, if not all, of the classes online," she says. "I think the online course concept is a fabulous idea, and would highly recommend it to anyone."
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