{"id":8828,"date":"2021-06-02T11:51:28","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T15:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/?p=8828"},"modified":"2024-12-16T17:05:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T22:05:08","slug":"student-story-lauren-called-to-funeral-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/student-story-lauren-called-to-funeral-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Lauren\u2019s Story: A Funeral Service Career that Came Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lauren Gee, LFSP, CCSP, CCO, Funeral Service graduate <\/strong><\/p>\n

Growing up, my family and I lived above a funeral home that my father owned and operated, yet my contact with death was surprisingly limited. My mother and father purposefully shielded my twin sister and me, who were adopted at age 11, from the business as best they could.<\/p>\n

Whenever a service would occur downstairs, we would remain on the couch or walk as lightly as possible to avoid being heard through the floors. But when no one was home, my sister and I would often sneak below barefoot and chase each other through the chapel.<\/p>\n

My interest in the funeral service profession did not come naturally. When I was old enough to explore the working world, my mind had never settled in the realm of death care. While dabbling in various other industries, I worked on and off for my father, but my duties were always light. I would drive the hearse and limousine for services, clean the funeral home, and manage clerical work.<\/p>\n

It was not until later in my twenties that I felt \u201cthe call.\u201d<\/p>\n

One evening, my father and I had both come home from a long day in the office. The business had picked up quite a bit, and we sat down, ready to relax.<\/p>\n

My father, the first and only Black\u00a0funeral service director<\/a>\u00a0in New London county, is an older gentleman from the south. He is conservative in nature, and personal conversations seldom arise — only business.<\/p>\n

But something must have struck him that day because he was in the mood to talk.<\/p>\n

A family tradition in funeral service <\/h2>\n

For the first time in our history, my father began to share his life story with me. He told me about a time when he was nine years old in Virginia. It was around 1948, and back then, Black people couldn\u2019t use White-owned funeral homes; they had to wait for a Black mortician from another town to assist them, and more often than not, the wait was a long one.<\/p>\n

My father recalled that once the funeral director finally arrived, people would line the streets and watch the hearse drive through town as though a parade were taking place. It was uncommon for townspeople to see a Black-owned \u201coutfit\u201d of this type, and its presence drew both awareness and curiosity. My father was instantly impressed by this experience, and although he had not fully understood what he was seeing, he knew that he wanted to be a part of it.<\/p>\n

During our conversation, my father also shared his experience of being a 12-year-old school dropout after his father died. He detailed how, through hard work, he went from digging ditches to help provide for his family to becoming the founder and funeral director he is today.<\/p>\n

The passion and purpose my father conveyed that evening seeped into my soul. At that moment in time, I had been searching for the very same \u201cgreater purpose\u201d that he had possessed. And, because of this very exchange, my wheels began to turn.<\/p>\n

\"Father<\/p>\n

A sneak peek at the postmortem profession <\/h2>\n

Shortly after this insight into my father\u2019s life, I was invited to observe an autopsy. My father was extremely hesitant, but the medical investigator, a short-statured, grey-haired man eager to share his expertise, insisted that I attend. \u201cI\u2019ll show you how it\u2019s done,\u201d he assured me with confidence. To this day, this is one of the most incredible experiences I\u2019ve ever encountered.<\/p>\n

The medical investigator talked me through everything he was doing and why. He highlighted his technique and reasoning behind every move he made and explained the anatomy of organs and their function as he worked his way through the autopsy. I was in awe. When he was done, he looked up at me as we went to leave the room and chuckled,\u00a0\u201cSee, you\u2019re still standing!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

At that moment, the two worlds of service and science collided for me, and I decided to pursue my degree that year.<\/p>\n

Goodwin: A saving grace for mortuary science\u00a0<\/h2>\n

My start as a college student was anything but smooth. I initially attended Lincoln College of New England (LCNE) as a part-time student in Mortuary Science but decided to transfer to Mount Ida in Massachusetts after a couple of years. After Mount Ida\u2019s abrupt closure in 2018, I transferred back to Lincoln College of New England (LCNE), where I was soon met with the news of their impending closure.<\/p>\n

My hopes for completing my funeral service degree<\/a> were dwindling and seemed impossible; I was shattered. Within a year, I was notified of my second school closure and had nowhere to go. I was devastated to have come so far, only to be met with no further options.<\/p>\n

Many people were unaware of the struggles I had to overcome during this time in my life. I am a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, and even homelessness. Pushing through was never easy, but I was determined to earn my degree.<\/p>\n

After learning about LCNE\u2019s closure, students, myself included, were in a panic. At the time, there was no other college in Connecticut that offered our degree. But then, Goodwin stepped in and agreed to absorb Lincoln\u2019s program. Students were allowed to pick up where they left off without losing credits or having to repeat classes, and it was a blessing.<\/p>\n

With the help of Goodwin, we were able to save and secure our place in the profession.<\/p>\n

A flexible funeral service program<\/h2>\n

From the very beginning, Goodwin made the process easy. The\u00a0financial aid department\u00a0<\/a>was amazing and stood out immediately in comparison to other schools. My financial advisor really went in-depth about the\u00a0financial aid packages<\/a>, the differences between\u00a0grants<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0loans<\/a>, and what they can do. It was wonderful to walk away with a better understanding of the financial aid process.<\/p>\n

Also, a notable difference was Goodwin\u2019s scheduling options. As a working parent and commuter living an hour away, having the\u00a0flexibility<\/a>\u00a0of choosing between class times throughout the day and night, both on-ground or online, removed the stress of figuring out how I would maintain life as a non-traditional student.<\/p>\n

A career-focused culture of professors and peers <\/h2>\n

Before adoption and during foster care, my sister and I weren\u2019t always in the best places. I had learned to rely on a sense of belonging and support. Subsequently, school had become my safe space. It was my family, my escape, and in many instances, my meal; it was everything to me. After trying experiences with Mount Ida and LCNE, that light had begun to dim, and school became a chore.<\/p>\n

Once I arrived at Goodwin and became comfortable in the classroom, it was easy to forget the outside world and focus on my future. That feeling of fulfillment and excitement returned. I knew that I would make it across the finish line — that funeral service\u00a0would\u00a0<\/em>be my career; and that I would<\/em> be able to<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>help my family.<\/p>\n

The atmosphere in every capacity at Goodwin was great. Whether it was those working in the\u00a0registrar\u2019s office<\/a>\u00a0or with other instructors, everyone smiled, laughed, and knew each other\u2019s names — there was a true sense of community.<\/p>\n

Between the various ethnicities, cultures, ages, and personalities, feeling out of place was almost impossible.\u00a0As different as our backgrounds were, our common interest and passion for death care brought us closer together. By the end of the program, we were all colleagues, and in many cases,\u00a0we became a family<\/a>\u00a0who still check-in with one another today.<\/p>\n

My experiences with the professors at Goodwin were fantastic. Their knowledge and personal experiences allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the profession.\u00a0Program Director Jesse Gomes\u2019<\/a>\u00a0excitement while teaching was incredibly infectious — you couldn\u2019t help but stay engaged during class. He has a unique ability to break down and explain\u00a0seemingly complicated subject matters<\/a>\u00a0in fun ways to be easily remembered. I don\u2019t recall one class where I felt bored or disengaged.<\/p>\n

Overall, the instructors\u2019 ability to connect with students created a safe, welcoming, and judgment-free atmosphere. I was able to ask questions without feeling out of place and received help without feeling as though I was an inconvenience or slowing the class down. They made each of us feel as though we were their equal and ensured that our success was their top priority. Because of that support, the program allowed me to grow into a more confident person personally and professionally.<\/p>\n

Graduating Goodwin, from learning to licensure <\/h2>\n

Before Goodwin, I had never experienced the gratifying moment of walking across the commencement stage. I could not graduate high school because I became pregnant with my son during junior year and gave birth to him in my senior year. Instead, I worked and earned my GED.<\/p>\n

During commencement, I was told that my father cried. Hearing this information was a bit surreal because I\u2019ve only known my father to cry two other times. On graduation day, I could proudly say I had done it; no one could take that piece of paper away from me.<\/p>\n

After graduating with my degree in\u00a0Funeral Service<\/a>, I still had a long way to go. The only way that I would be able to move forward in this profession was to become fully licensed<\/a>. My next steps were:<\/p>\n