I didn't go back just to finish, but wanted to help dyslexics in a bigger way....ultimately I learned it has to be done from the inside out. Someitmes I feel as tho I am trying to stop the earth's rotation...but that's okay...it keeps it interesting.
Believe it or not I've actually been accepted for jobs using my Way degree. I got my job as a Logistics Mgmt Specialist with the Govt using my degree. I was accepted as the Director of a Recovery Program with my degree. I applied for Vocational schools twice (Cosmetology in the 80's and Massage Therapy in 07) and was accepted using my degree. Alot of businesses don't care where it came from as long as you have one to submit to them. At least that's been my experience.
Had my degree well before the TWI years, thank God. To me any religious or secular organization that hinders or otherwise campaigns against people getting the highest degree of education they can is wrong.
People who have an education, are better equiped to hold a job, raise a family, think and analyse, and support those around them.
Education is not confined to a four year degree. If you want to be a carpenter, then an apprenticeship with the best carpenter you find is a worthy goal, trade school, night classes, correspondence classes from an accredited school, getting you GED if necessary are all praiseworthy efforts that should be pursued even if doing so means some sacrifice on your part.
Whether you attend classes as part of career objectives or simply to gain more knowledge in an area of interest, the discipline and study habits you learn as you pursue your goals are two of the most valuable traits any of us can possess.
Involvement in The Way Corps definitely kept me from going to college. I got into TWI shortly out of high school and was totally devoted to TWI goals, and worked supporting myself as an industrial seamstress. I went WOW after the foundational class, spent the next year as interim Corps in service in leadership positions, and the next year went straight into the 6th Corps.
While working at cr@p jobs at Krispy Kreme and McDonald's on my interim year, I knew I needed to attend college in order to get a decent job to support myself, otherwise I would be trapped in menial labor with low wages. When going back for my final year in residence I began to ask about attending college when I graduated. I was told by several overseers even during my first year in residence when I asked about going to college, that VPW was fuming about investing so much time and resources into training Way Corps so they could go out on the field to serve, and then they would end up "shelving" themselves by going to school afterwards. VPW was ok with "finishing up" college during your interim year or after graduation if you started college pre-twi. But at this point in my involvement with TWI, college was discouraged.
My final year in residence, I was told that unless VPW personally assigned someone to go to college as a Corps assignment, it was to be put out of mind. I was sharply discouraged from attending college after Corps graduation. I decided to try to learn some secretarial type skills while in residence, but when I asked the work coordinator if I could get transferred from housekeeping into an office to learn the switchboard or something new, He yelled at me and told me it was not The Way Corps' objective to train me for a career.
When my husband (not myself) was given the Corps assignment to attend the University of Chicago, the Corps as a whole was also admonished not to go into debt, and school debt even at that time was frowned upon. A neat trick for us to accomplish, since VPW had assigned us to an ivy league university and then admonished the entire Corps to not take out school loans.
So while other college-assigned folks still took out school loans under the table, we busted our asses to scrape together tuition for my husband at the University of Chicago (NOT CHEAP!!!!!) while putting a roof over our heads at the same time. My husband started a window washing business while trying to balance his course load and I worked at housekeeping. On the side I learned Aramaic and Syriac on my own. I was invited by Dr. Voobus at The Lutheran School of Theology to attend his graduate level classes for free, when he found out what I was doing on my own. He was really impressed and that was great. But that was simply a language course, even though it was a masters level class. And because it was off the books, I will never get credit for it. But that's ok, I learned what I wanted to learn and it was a privilege he had never extended to anyone else before or since. So, I never even began college until AFTER I left TWI and began to untangle their tentacles from my brain.
Now, having proved my academic ability and loaded up on several scholarships which account for much of my tuition at a pricey private college, I still have to take out school loans which is pretty risky at my age. But, I am getting close to finishing my undergraduate degree with two majors and many honors. That alone is very satisfying.
However, I often wonder what more I could have accomplished had I gone to school earlier in my life. I also wonder what it will be like to try to find employment even with a degree because of my age, and am also concerned about paying off school loans at my age. I do work as a history tutor at a community college, and will be involved in internships on PBS WWII oral history projects which will help. I also I continue to apply for and get every scholarship available to me to minimize what I will eventually owe.
Had I not run into TWI, I would have finished college much earlier and by now my school loans would be paid off.
One of the long list of crimes of TWI is the robbery of a person's time and potential. I can go to school. But I will never get back the time invested. That is gone forever.
Had I not run into TWI, I would have finished college much earlier and by now my school loans would be paid off.
One of the long list of crimes of TWI is the robbery of a person's time and potential. I can go to school. But I will never get back the time invested. That is gone forever.
Yeah, I too would have finished college.......rather than twi's robbery of self, time and potential.
What irks me the most.....is that while some of us were diligently witnessing, running classes, going inrez and planting trees, painting their buildings, etc.......wierwille was romping in his motorcoach with young corps girls and slooching around in drambuie. Martindale followed wierwille's adulterous ways and went after many a corps man's wife. Thanks Donna for speaking up......NOT.
Wierwille betrayed us and sold our diligent efforts down the river. Even to this day, twi cannot seem to right their ship........wierwille's cult needs to find THE North Star.
And, ANY offshoots that keep wierwille on a pedestal and laud his work.......
I had gotten a bachelors degree by the time I really got involved in twi but yes, I went in-rez when I was planning on going back to school to modify my career focus.
There is no question that I flat-out LOST twenty years of my life by being so involved in twi. I got involved with twi in my 20's and when I left, I was in my 40's. I hadn't worked in my chosen field in all that time, so my degree was virtually worthless. I felt very much like someone just out of high school... no usable degree, no "nest egg" to fall back on, never had owned my own home, and never had purchased a new car. No network of corporate/workplace contacts. Nothing. I had to start all over!!
So, yeah, it definately burned me up when they went from saying, "Who needs worldly knowledge, when you can get Biblical knowlege and practical training in the corps?" to "Isn't college a wonderful way to let your light shine and witness to the world?" just because the leadership's kids had reached that age.
But by then, I had such a pile of red flags stacked up in the back of my mind, I just chucked this one on top of the heap and went about my business ignoring them all... good little twi-bot.
Good to see you Catcup! If'n yer so inclined, and you have the time, would you mind posting the story of your avatar on Chas's thread?
Back to the topic ^_^ :
The sad thing is, they are STILL doing this to some degree. Yes, a lot more kids are going to college, but there are just as many being pushed into Way Disciple and Way Corps. They are pushing folks to give up their career for Way Corps. One lady in our area gave up a great technical job to go into the corps and, with the way technology changes and grows these days, while her knowledge may not be obsolete, she will certainly be behind on the latest and greatest. My guess is that she is hard pressed to find a professional job with the same salary and benefits as the one she abandoned just to go corps.
Good to see you Catcup! If'n yer so inclined, and you have the time, would you mind posting the story of your avatar on Chas's thread?
Done!
It is sad to see talent wasted.
My daughter, who is currently in college studying vocal performance, recently returned from her grandmother's birthday party and was saddened to learn that her innie cousin had abandoned college to work on HQ staff and sing in their choir. She said it made her sad and mad to see such a waste of talent. She is concerned that her cousin's life will be totally robbed and wasted just like her Aunt and Uncle are doing.
Makes me sad, too. We were once pretty close to Geek's brother and his wife. Once we left TWI it was as if we dropped off the face of the planet. Shortly after we left, Geek's brother sent him a birthday card with a really mean and nasty message inside (which I have kept). The "kinder and gentler" TWI has now allowed him to try to stay in contact now and he has been "nicer," but he still has not apologized for the "nastygram" birthday card. He acts like it never happened. No surprise there. And none of his kids who started college, ever finished.
I finished up my college after being M & A. When applying to the university, I used all my old college credits and military experience and got credit for them. My advisor was polite about the validity of the AAS of Theology the Way C of Indiana bestowed on me and I passed on that issue. But, I was able to use the experience of being in the Way Corps for the basis of several papers. . One prof even asked me about it and it made for several interesting conversations of Religion and Cults. I even got an “A” in that class, an Upper level Management course, for the semester.
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coolchef
congrats to all of you who got that sheepskin
good for you all
i never did but made out ok anyway
but i sure do respect educated people
i went one year only
the first half i was on the deans list
the second i was dropped
i was young and was introduce to
PARTY!!!!but i have no regrets
at leat twi had nothing to do with it
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washingtonweather
I didn't go back just to finish, but wanted to help dyslexics in a bigger way....ultimately I learned it has to be done from the inside out. Someitmes I feel as tho I am trying to stop the earth's rotation...but that's okay...it keeps it interesting.
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Edi
Believe it or not I've actually been accepted for jobs using my Way degree. I got my job as a Logistics Mgmt Specialist with the Govt using my degree. I was accepted as the Director of a Recovery Program with my degree. I applied for Vocational schools twice (Cosmetology in the 80's and Massage Therapy in 07) and was accepted using my degree. Alot of businesses don't care where it came from as long as you have one to submit to them. At least that's been my experience.
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Bolshevik
a Way Corps degree is an associates of theology? I've heard if you had a bachelor's already they'd give you a bachelor's, if not, an associates?
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Bolshevik
F U TWI!!!!!!!!!
He he he
Graduated last Saturday.
Now on to even higher learning.
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Eyesopen
Congratulations!! I know it is a good feeling to accomplish something like this. On to bigger and brighter things.
God Bless you
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JavaJane
Mr B!!! Congratulations!!!!!
Whoopeee!!!
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templelady
Had my degree well before the TWI years, thank God. To me any religious or secular organization that hinders or otherwise campaigns against people getting the highest degree of education they can is wrong.
People who have an education, are better equiped to hold a job, raise a family, think and analyse, and support those around them.
Education is not confined to a four year degree. If you want to be a carpenter, then an apprenticeship with the best carpenter you find is a worthy goal, trade school, night classes, correspondence classes from an accredited school, getting you GED if necessary are all praiseworthy efforts that should be pursued even if doing so means some sacrifice on your part.
Whether you attend classes as part of career objectives or simply to gain more knowledge in an area of interest, the discipline and study habits you learn as you pursue your goals are two of the most valuable traits any of us can possess.
Just another of TWI short sighted policies
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waysider
Kudos, Mr. B.
The only degree I have is an A.A.S.(Associate of Applied Science).
Still, being an adult when I got it, I feel like I accomplished something important in pursuing it.
I'm glad I did.
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Catcup
Have only read Hope's opening posts.
Involvement in The Way Corps definitely kept me from going to college. I got into TWI shortly out of high school and was totally devoted to TWI goals, and worked supporting myself as an industrial seamstress. I went WOW after the foundational class, spent the next year as interim Corps in service in leadership positions, and the next year went straight into the 6th Corps.
While working at cr@p jobs at Krispy Kreme and McDonald's on my interim year, I knew I needed to attend college in order to get a decent job to support myself, otherwise I would be trapped in menial labor with low wages. When going back for my final year in residence I began to ask about attending college when I graduated. I was told by several overseers even during my first year in residence when I asked about going to college, that VPW was fuming about investing so much time and resources into training Way Corps so they could go out on the field to serve, and then they would end up "shelving" themselves by going to school afterwards. VPW was ok with "finishing up" college during your interim year or after graduation if you started college pre-twi. But at this point in my involvement with TWI, college was discouraged.
My final year in residence, I was told that unless VPW personally assigned someone to go to college as a Corps assignment, it was to be put out of mind. I was sharply discouraged from attending college after Corps graduation. I decided to try to learn some secretarial type skills while in residence, but when I asked the work coordinator if I could get transferred from housekeeping into an office to learn the switchboard or something new, He yelled at me and told me it was not The Way Corps' objective to train me for a career.
When my husband (not myself) was given the Corps assignment to attend the University of Chicago, the Corps as a whole was also admonished not to go into debt, and school debt even at that time was frowned upon. A neat trick for us to accomplish, since VPW had assigned us to an ivy league university and then admonished the entire Corps to not take out school loans.
So while other college-assigned folks still took out school loans under the table, we busted our asses to scrape together tuition for my husband at the University of Chicago (NOT CHEAP!!!!!) while putting a roof over our heads at the same time. My husband started a window washing business while trying to balance his course load and I worked at housekeeping. On the side I learned Aramaic and Syriac on my own. I was invited by Dr. Voobus at The Lutheran School of Theology to attend his graduate level classes for free, when he found out what I was doing on my own. He was really impressed and that was great. But that was simply a language course, even though it was a masters level class. And because it was off the books, I will never get credit for it. But that's ok, I learned what I wanted to learn and it was a privilege he had never extended to anyone else before or since. So, I never even began college until AFTER I left TWI and began to untangle their tentacles from my brain.
Now, having proved my academic ability and loaded up on several scholarships which account for much of my tuition at a pricey private college, I still have to take out school loans which is pretty risky at my age. But, I am getting close to finishing my undergraduate degree with two majors and many honors. That alone is very satisfying.
However, I often wonder what more I could have accomplished had I gone to school earlier in my life. I also wonder what it will be like to try to find employment even with a degree because of my age, and am also concerned about paying off school loans at my age. I do work as a history tutor at a community college, and will be involved in internships on PBS WWII oral history projects which will help. I also I continue to apply for and get every scholarship available to me to minimize what I will eventually owe.
Had I not run into TWI, I would have finished college much earlier and by now my school loans would be paid off.
One of the long list of crimes of TWI is the robbery of a person's time and potential. I can go to school. But I will never get back the time invested. That is gone forever.
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skyrider
Yeah, I too would have finished college.......rather than twi's robbery of self, time and potential.
What irks me the most.....is that while some of us were diligently witnessing, running classes, going inrez and planting trees, painting their buildings, etc.......wierwille was romping in his motorcoach with young corps girls and slooching around in drambuie. Martindale followed wierwille's adulterous ways and went after many a corps man's wife. Thanks Donna for speaking up......NOT.
Wierwille betrayed us and sold our diligent efforts down the river. Even to this day, twi cannot seem to right their ship........wierwille's cult needs to find THE North Star.
And, ANY offshoots that keep wierwille on a pedestal and laud his work.......
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TheHighWay
I had gotten a bachelors degree by the time I really got involved in twi but yes, I went in-rez when I was planning on going back to school to modify my career focus.
There is no question that I flat-out LOST twenty years of my life by being so involved in twi. I got involved with twi in my 20's and when I left, I was in my 40's. I hadn't worked in my chosen field in all that time, so my degree was virtually worthless. I felt very much like someone just out of high school... no usable degree, no "nest egg" to fall back on, never had owned my own home, and never had purchased a new car. No network of corporate/workplace contacts. Nothing. I had to start all over!!
So, yeah, it definately burned me up when they went from saying, "Who needs worldly knowledge, when you can get Biblical knowlege and practical training in the corps?" to "Isn't college a wonderful way to let your light shine and witness to the world?" just because the leadership's kids had reached that age.
But by then, I had such a pile of red flags stacked up in the back of my mind, I just chucked this one on top of the heap and went about my business ignoring them all... good little twi-bot.
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Belle
Good to see you Catcup! If'n yer so inclined, and you have the time, would you mind posting the story of your avatar on Chas's thread?
Back to the topic ^_^ :
The sad thing is, they are STILL doing this to some degree. Yes, a lot more kids are going to college, but there are just as many being pushed into Way Disciple and Way Corps. They are pushing folks to give up their career for Way Corps. One lady in our area gave up a great technical job to go into the corps and, with the way technology changes and grows these days, while her knowledge may not be obsolete, she will certainly be behind on the latest and greatest. My guess is that she is hard pressed to find a professional job with the same salary and benefits as the one she abandoned just to go corps.
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Catcup
Done!
It is sad to see talent wasted.
My daughter, who is currently in college studying vocal performance, recently returned from her grandmother's birthday party and was saddened to learn that her innie cousin had abandoned college to work on HQ staff and sing in their choir. She said it made her sad and mad to see such a waste of talent. She is concerned that her cousin's life will be totally robbed and wasted just like her Aunt and Uncle are doing.
Makes me sad, too. We were once pretty close to Geek's brother and his wife. Once we left TWI it was as if we dropped off the face of the planet. Shortly after we left, Geek's brother sent him a birthday card with a really mean and nasty message inside (which I have kept). The "kinder and gentler" TWI has now allowed him to try to stay in contact now and he has been "nicer," but he still has not apologized for the "nastygram" birthday card. He acts like it never happened. No surprise there. And none of his kids who started college, ever finished.
It's just sad what a waste it all is.
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frank123lol
My daughter just finished her degree in accounting!! Twi be damned It was the right thing to do.
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Karl
I finished up my college after being M & A. When applying to the university, I used all my old college credits and military experience and got credit for them. My advisor was polite about the validity of the AAS of Theology the Way C of Indiana bestowed on me and I passed on that issue. But, I was able to use the experience of being in the Way Corps for the basis of several papers. . One prof even asked me about it and it made for several interesting conversations of Religion and Cults. I even got an “A” in that class, an Upper level Management course, for the semester.
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