It is written that a journey of a thousand begins with one step, but what is not written is where that journey takes a person. Someone begins with a specific destination in mind, and can end up in a completely different place. Some end up where they started, others travel to and from far away places. Starting over is never easy. And for those with a special dream, their hope is to end up in a place that will be worth the length of the journey.

Samra T. Bicic has taken countless steps to make her dream a reality.

Samra is a single mother, a non-traditional student who, along with her family, was forced to flee from her homeland, leaving behind everything and everyone she knew. They left their war-torn native Bosnia and came to the United States in 2001, settling first in New London, Connecticut.  After Samra’s brother told about Manchester Community College, she went there, first in 2004, then in 2006. Finally, she returned in 2009, to continue her education.

Samra has a technical engineering diploma, but she decided to pursue a business degree. “It developed naturally,” she said, “my family owned a grocery store in Bosnia”. She recalls how hard it was to keep the business going. “I saw how they struggled, to make a successful”. Determined to be a success in the business world, Samra is involved in the Alternative Career Education Students(ACES).

Samra “loves” the ACES program, with its emphasis on helping students focus on their futures. She thinks faculty advisor Michael Magoon is “wonderfully awesome” and calls her fellow students “a refreshing group of people who will do well”. She adds that, as ACES grows, the students will get more involved and “do good for the future”.

It is worth noting that a person’s path is made easier if others have gone before them. Samra’s sojourn, first to become an engineer, then making her way to Manchester, reminds me of my own journey into a non-traditional world. In 1978, I was part of the first group of women to work in the Quincy, MA shipyard, helping to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers. I was trained as a welder, and assigned to one of the many mills scattered throughout the shipyard. I worked second shift, and each evening, I would put on my welder’s mask and started joining together half inch thick steel plates. It was hard and dangerous work, and I went home bone tired. All that paled in comparison to the harassment we endured at the hands of our male counterparts. They did not exactly welcome us with open arms; in fact, some guys were downright hostile. They either ignored us or made lewd comments. Still, we endured, because we knew that each time we showed up for work, it made it a little easier for women who would follow us. Our legacy, not unlike ACES, was, and is, a better world for everyone.

That’s why ACES is the place.