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Displaced worker from Breeding, KY, enjoys fresh start at SCC The writer, Dan Fishback, is a contributing writer to Somerset Community Colleges's student newspaper, The Bridge. He is a Somerset Community College student from Breeding, Adair County, KY. The story first appeared in The Bridge, It's a great story about grit, sacrifice and determination, as well as a great testimonial for SCC. - ALLISON HORSEMAN Click on headline for complete story By Dan Fishback, SCC student Somerset Community College Somerset, Ky.- I am one of a sizable group of former Fruit of the Loom employees currently attending SCC. The college is no stranger to dislocated workers and, from my own experience, has been quite welcoming. Still the transition from being a full-time member of the workforce to a full-time student life is not an easy one. There is no doubt that my story shares similarities with those of others who have found themselves in this position. However, each individual experiences traumatic events differently and copes with these situations in his or her own way. I have found that most are rather stoic when it comes to discussing their thoughts on the events that brought us to SCC. Perhaps it is a need for privacy or an inherent feeling of pride that keeps people quiet. I, however, possess neither of these traits and am perfectly willing to share my story. I had been employed at Fruit of the Loom's Jamestown plant for nearly eleven years when it was announced that the facility would close. I had lulled myself into a false sense of job security and had become quite comfortable in my position. I was married at the time with a young son and a mortgage. Our bills were paid on time and we were clothed, fed and happy. Upon hearing the news of the impending closure my feeling of security was immediately ripped away; the job I had founded my family on was crumbling beneath me. I have never been one to shy away from full-blown panic and this time was no exception. Had we lived in an area where jobs were plentiful I imagine the initial blow would have been easier. As employees we were kept in the dark about what forms of assistance would be made available to us for some time. We were expected to perform our jobs exactly as before despite knowing we would soon be without them. Ironically, there was a constant need for overtime, and I filled that need. My plan was to earn and save as much money as possible and build a financial cushion between my family and our coming poverty. My memories of the final eight months of 2014 are largely a blur due to stress and sleep deprivation. Sixty hours of night shift work per week will take its toll on anyone. Once we were told of the opportunity to further our education, my stress subsided slightly. Rather than wait for the factory to close before I began my academic journey I applied to SCC and began taking classes at the Russell Center in August of 2014. I would clock out from work at 7 am, nap in my van, attend class and return to work at 7 pm. I deprived my family of my company in an effort to eventually provide them with a better life. I wanted to get into school quickly, graduate as soon as possible and return to the workforce. My employment ended on October 16, 2014, and I thereafter became a full time student at SCC. In many ways I am still struggling to come to terms with unemployment and the uncertainty of my future. I assumed that by this time, nearly a year later, I would have adjusted. It has become easier. I'm even enjoying life as a student. I hate not getting up and going to work and depending on government assistance when I am perfectly capable of being employed. I know that the circumstances which brought me here were beyond my control, and I made the right decision in furthering my education. Still, the stigma of being an unemployed adult bothers me. I know that I will be prepared to re-enter the workforce, but I have questions that can be answered only with time. My area of Kentucky is not a hub of industry. Will I need to relocate and uproot my son from his comfort zone? Will I have to fight custody battles with his mother and chance losing even more time with him? His well-being is more important than my own, but I must take into consideration my ability to support him and the jobs and salaries available in my area. As of now, my son and I remain clothed, fed and happy. I still harbor much bitterness toward my former employer, but am also grateful for lessons learned. I now know the dangers of comfort and complacency. I will never again allow myself to become comfortable in any position. In life, the only constant is change, and I had allowed myself to forget that. When you become too accustomed to something you become lazy; you stop trying to better yourself. I had based my life around my job. I had become simply a factory worker with a family to support and nothing more. Any ambition beyond that had been forgotten. Thanks to SCC, I know I am capable of more, and I have the ambition to forge a better life for my son and myself. - Dan Fishback To find out more about SCC, visit Somerset.kctcs.edu or call toll-free (877) 629-9722. Somerset Community College is a comprehensive two-year institution of higher education. SCC has campuses in Somerset and London, and centers in Clinton, McCreary, Casey, and Russell counties. For admission and program information, visit our website at somerset.kctcs.edu. This story was posted on 2015-10-27 19:52:37
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