Jersey City’s Lindy Pagan
overcomes obstacles, sets course for a rewarding life.
September 19, 2018
, Jersey City, NJ – Two decades after dropping out of
college and enlisting in the military, Lindy Pagan returned to her studies with
the goal of earning an Associate’s degree in Fine Arts from Hudson County
Community College (HCCC). Today she is one of only 25 recipients nationally of
the Coca-Cola Military Leaders of Promise Scholarship.
Dr. Chris Reber, President of HCCC, announced that Ms.
Pagan
is one of only 25 Phi Theta Kappa Honor
Society members selected as a 2018 Coca-Cola Military Leaders of Promise
Scholar, and recipient of a $1,000 award. Recipients are active military
personnel or veterans who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and
leadership potential.
“All
of us at the College are very proud of Lindy. We applaud her determination and
support her in achieving her life goals,” Dr. Reber said. “Hudson County
Community College is committed to excellence, and to providing our students
with the knowledge and resources to transform their lives. Lindy personifies the mission of HCCC.”
“I
ultimately would like to set a higher standard of living for my son. I want to show him, by way of example, that
an education is one of the most valuable things anyone can ever possess.
Without an education, one can only go so far in life,” Ms. Pagan said.
Pagan
credited HCCC’s Center of Online Learning for contributing to her success. “Easy
access to the Internet plays a major part in my academic success, especially
late at night when I have no choice but to wait until everyone else is asleep
to be able to concentrate on my studies.
I am also able to take advantage of the various online courses Hudson
County Community College has to offer,” Ms. Pagan said.
Struggling
to survive financially during her first attempt at college, Ms. Pagan dropped
out and joined the military, but an injury derailed her plans for a military
career. “I was too embarrassed to return
home a complete failure, so I settled into my first apartment in the middle of
nowhere, 1,800 miles away. I was twenty years old,” Ms. Pagan said.
She
worked as a graphic designer for The
Vernon Daily Record in Texas. As the company transitioned to digital, she
learned Photoshop and QuarkXPress. “It was within those black-and-white pages
of the newspaper that I found my passion for design. A few years and one divorce later, I moved
back home to Jersey City and continued to work in graphic design. I have been
an active part of the artist community ever since and have had several art
exhibits,” Ms. Pagan said.
Ms.
Pagan spent the last 20 years earning her living as a designer and illustrator but
found not having a college degree an obstacle to promotion. She also wanted to set an example for her
family. “For the first time in my life, I found a purpose and a reason to make
a change. The day I found out I was
pregnant was the day I decided it was time to go back to school and finish what
I had started,” Ms. Pagan said.
After
graduating from HCCC, she plans to pursue a Bachelor’s degree and have a career
in graphic arts that allows her to support her family and pursue her passion
for art and design.
The
Leaders of Promise Scholarship, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation,
awards 200 scholarships annually, totaling $200,000. A panel of independent
judges selected the scholars from over 1,200 applicants. The scholarship program
was launched in 2001 to assist new Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members in
obtaining an associate degree. Today, the scholarship is more relevant than
ever as the organization, colleges, and communities actively encourage the
completion of a college credential, an associate degree or certificate.