Congratulations to Sheina for being chosen as our November Learner of the Month! The relationship between a learner and their GLA mentor is an important one. Mentors are there to support learners and help them make decisions to meet their goals. Sheina’s mentor, Sharon M., wrote a lovely nomination, and we think she said it best. Here is what Sharon had to say!
Sheina is overcoming an injury and is reinventing her life as she can no longer work in her last profession. She has an amazing attitude and is very inspirational. She loves to write and would like to publish one day. Sheina communicates regularly and I always look forward to her emails. This is a small excerpt from her “About You” in her registration.
“Often we don’t make a move in life because we don’t know what steps or actions to take. I would like to be that person that helps people take a step in the right direction. Always find the silver lining and never give up, there are always other roads to take. :)”
Sheina works hard on courses. She made herself flashcards when working on the Website Creation as a Career Part 1, so it will help her with future units. Sheina always reaches out if she has any issues or questions about the courses. We always say that our most successful Learners keep in contact with their mentors and Sheina is an excellent example of this. Since Sheina is enrolled in all of Nida’s live classes I asked her to please add a little write-up regarding Sheina.
Nida (GLA Instructor) has this to say:
I am pleased to support Sharon’s nomination of Sheina Wood. Sheina has come to the Creative Writing classes with a great openness to learn. She is an enthusiastic participant, who listens well to what others’ have to say, and is quick to offer her own supportive insights. She is also very creative and good at writing. Sheina is keen to publish her first children’s book. With just a few sessions on publishing, she is now well on her way to doing that.
We are all looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Sheina and her amazing attitude!
How did you first hear about online learning with Good Learning Anywhere?
Hassnaa Ramadan-Alaoui
Did you have any struggles during your learning? If so, how did you overcome them?
I had great difficulty with coding. I reached out to my instructor Sharon and she was extremely supportive and helpful. She went out of her way to send me links to free online coding courses and encouraged me to pursue and not to give up. It was a great learning experience.
What advice do you have for someone thinking about starting to improve their skills?
Just take your first step and take it one day at a time. Some days I don’t have enough time to study, so I make a schedule and set aside a reasonable amount of time each week. This way I can do more on days I have more time and reach my end goal by the end of the week. If I find that I am not able to reach that goal I reassess and either find more time to study or I reduce the amount I am hoping to achieve so my goals are realistic and attainable.
What is your greatest achievement? Or what accomplishment are you most proud of?
I had to reread and study any unit with coding HTML, CSS, etc a dozen times before I was able to really grasp, remember and comprehend all the codes to complete assignments and tests. I reached out for help as I felt that I was falling behind. After getting the help from my instructor I sat down one night and said I am figuring this out tonight. I was highly focused and followed through. When I passed the test, I went to bed happy and proud of myself for not giving up.
What are your goals for the future?
I am working on publishing a children’s book and starting a website for my work. I also hope to make them into songs and videos.
Is there anyone you would like to thank for supporting you on this journey?
Sharon M. (GLA Mentor), Nida D. (GLA Instructor), My husband and son.
Is there anything else you would like to share with people about winning this award?
Without support, you can feel lost and unsure of what to do or where to go. Nida and Sharon both helped me immensely on my journey. They have gone above and beyond for me. They increased my confidence so that I was able to take my first step. I reached out to a friend to illustrate my book, Nida gave our class information on contests and writer’s associations etc. I entered some of my poems into a contest, I learned what steps I need to take to publish and how to develop my own site and some marketing advice. Sharon helped to find classes I would enjoy and what steps to take to get there. Without her I would not have taken Nida’s classes. I highly recommend them both. Also, without family and friends’ support it can be challenging. Do not be afraid to ask for help.