Imagine being offered a dream job, now imagine it being taken away from you as quickly as it was presented to you. You may have all the experience in the world, but none of that matters if you don't have a degree. That's why I decided to go back to school. There are several reasons for this; the humbling situation I found myself in, realizing where I was in life, where I wanted to be and how I was going to get there, and seeing the benefits of getting my degree. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay I experienced one of the most humiliating events of my life 5 months ago. I worked at a homeless shelter. I ran my own department. So when my boss offered me a promotion to open another section in my department, I was delighted. I immediately accepted the position. A week had passed and I had already told my family and friends about my new job. The director called me into her office and told me that I could not accept the position due to lack of diploma. She noted that I was qualified because of my experience, but that I also needed a degree for that. I had to inform everyone that I said I wouldn't get a promotion. I was extremely embarrassed. I felt like I had failed in my adult life. After turning down a promotion, I reflected on where I was in life and what was holding me back. I realized that I was happy with my life and that I was neither moving forward nor backward. I saw myself stuck in a nine-to-five job pattern and living paycheck to paycheck. I realized I was stuck in a rut and wanted more for myself. I was hesitant to make a life-changing decision. I always knew I wanted to work with children. I had achieved part of that goal. Having attended community college, I received enough credits to teach and work with children. I have been able to teach preschool, be a nanny, run a children's program in a residential facility, and teach Sunday school. I had become complacent and wanted more. I discussed quitting my job and going back to school. My goal is to one day run a preschool for underprivileged children. The only way to achieve this is through personal education. I was afraid of giving up something that was assured and safe, but I knew it had to be done. I met with my mentor and over lunch discussed my options. We looked at many different scenarios, but the one that stood out was that if I had the time to work full time and go to school full time, I wouldn't do it. I then realized that online school would be my best option. So I called Ashford University and signed up. I also accepted another job that was less physically, mentally and spiritually demanding, and became a nanny again. At this point, I knew how I was going to achieve my goal of earning a degree. I never realized how important it was to have a degree. I grew up in a small town where people worked the same jobs for years. When I moved to San Diego, and more recently, after turning down a promotion, I saw how impactful it was. I now know the benefits of having a degree. What stands out the most is having a better paying job. With a better paying job, I will have better opportunities to save and one day reach my goal of opening my preschool. Typically, a higher-paying job comes with employer-paid benefits. I.