Barstow Community College Life Chances Continuum Discussion

This is a way to  visually see the effect of life changes/life chances.

First–you are going to create a “life chances continuum.” 

Note the year you were born and any BIG events that you can remember. 

Then, answer this question: What are characteristics of your childhood that made you more likely to be financially stable as an adult or less likely so? 

Jessica Hernandez

1988

1989

1994

2006

2015

2021

2021        

born the 2ndchild

class 1-parent family

Parents divorced

Single parent home

Started school

Moved out of home

Married

Finally graduated and received diploma

Started college

MORE likely

LESS likely

MORE likely

LESS likely

MORE likely

MORE likely

MORE likely

To answer the question about what characteristics of my childhood would made me more or less likely to be financially stable.  In my childhood growing up, majority of it would made me less likely. I grew up in a single parent home, lower class almost poor. Mother dropped out of college when she had my sister at 21, married my father at 25, had me at 31 and before I turned 1 they were divorced. Therefore, my childhood would made me less likely to be financially stable. However, I have to say, although I grew up the way I did, I am more financially stable than my mother was at my age. 

——————

Nakul BhatT

2006

2008

2010

2013

2018

2021

born as the 2nd child 

class 2 – parent family

Moved to bad neighborhood 

Lived in an apartment 

Starting attending school

Mother and sibling home after school

Moved to a better neighborhood 

Began attending a better school

Father working across the state 

Brother off to college 

Started college 

MORE likely

LESS likely 

MORE likely

MORE likely

LESS likely

MORE likely 

During my childhood, there were characteristics that made me both more likely to be financially stable and less likely. I grew up with both parents playing an active role in my life. However, we did move to a bad neighborhood as my dad searched for work and my mother was finishing her education. In recent years, I am not able to spend much time with my father or brother. Nevertheless, starting college at an early age surely is the first step in becoming more financially stable towards my path to adulthood.