She had a Vision
Ashburnham resident finds support, helps others through MWCC program
By Lindsay Sauvageau JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

Gail Brooks

Gail Brooks, 60, never really had an overwhelming desire to go back to school, she simply thought the idea sounded fun.

"My husband decided to go back to school and I figured, if he was, why shouldn't I? I didn't have anything in mind, but I thought it might be easier understanding his situation - studying or going to class - if I did it too. I thought it would be fun doing it with him."

The couple, 13-year residents of South Ashburnham, made the decisions to reenter the educational system in 2001 at Mount Wachusett Community College. Yesterday, Brooks graduated from the Mount as a Phi Theta Kappa honors society member, with a degree in human services, and an opportunity to continue her education at Fitchburg State College. However, her work at the Mount extended beyond academics, to reaching out and supporting other students through mentoring in the Visions Program. Her story has helped others accomplish their own goals in life.

"Once upon a time in my old life I was a nurse for many years," she says with a laugh.

Brooks studied nursing in 1977 at the Girls' Trade High School in Worcester - also called the David Hale Fanning Trade High School. She worked for a time in nursing homes around Webster. Until she divorced her first husband and moved to Cape Cod. There she worked with New England Residential Services, an organization that provides residential services and support to those with developmental disabilities. She helped care for and manage four different multi-handicapped homes before becoming a residential manager for many years.

"I loved the work," she said. "It's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life."

However, in 1994, Brooks was waylaid by an accident on the job. Two broken vertebrae put an end to her nursing work.

"It was devastating, I couldn't keep doing what I wanted to do doing most," she said. "But I ended up transferring that energy to other things."

Brooks began by putting her efforts into raising her five children - three sons and two daughters. Brooks' oldest two sons at 41 and 37 are biological and her other three children are adopted. Her oldest adopted daughter was a deaf 10-year-old living in Hong Kong when Brooks made her part of the family, now, 42 she lives happily in Minnesota; her second oldest daughter was a bi-racial, six-weeksold living in Oklahoma and her youngest son is an African American, multi-handicapped adult who

will be 30 in July.

"When I was adopting, they handed me what I call the Sears catalogue of kids who are hard to place for various reasons and I saw my kids in the catalogue," she said. "I wanted to help them all. This was always something I wanted to do."

When Brooks and her husband began at MWCC, they were among the 46 percent of students attending the Mount between the ages of 25 and 64. She immediately became involved in The Visions Program, an educational opportunity TRIO (Student Support Services) program funded by the US Department of Education. The program helps students persevere in college and assists transfer students with their transitions. The Visions Program provides support services like personal counseling, academic advising, career counseling, transfer counseling, professional tutors and services for students with learning disabilities to students from families where neither parent has earned a four-year degree, students from limited income backgrounds and those with disabilities.

"I have to say I've never found a more supportive program than Visions. The college has been so accepting of older students, nontraditional students and handicapped students and my career councilor was a shoulder to cry on and encouragement. Every day I felt like I wanted to quit but I knew all of it is worth it in the end," she said.

And it is through Visions that Brooks passes on the story of her life, mentoring other students on the importance of perseverance, personal growth and never giving up hope.

"I tell my kids if I can do it than you can do it too. It just takes a lot of perseverance," she said. "For me, it's a matter of getting both feet on the floor in the morning and being able to get going. Some days I'm in a lot of pain and it's difficult but as I tell them, what's important is that you're here and you keep trying."

Brooks says she tells everyone she knows that the hardest part about graduating is saying goodbye to those she has met in school.

"I tell everyone that I won't find this environment and support anywhere else. I tell everyone that as you move on in life you should take what you learn and the support from the friendships you've made and pass it on to someone else."