Kristine Hain

Sophomore, Occupational Therapy

Bellwood, Nebraska

With two small children, newly divorced and flat broke, Kristine Hain needed a plan for her future. She knew she couldn’t return to the career she had gained with her master’s degree in theater lighting because of the endless and odd hours it required. It just wasn’t conducive to family life.

As she considered the possibilities, it became clear that she needed additional education to pursue a career path for which she had passion and that would allow her to be the parent she needed to be. She wanted to become an occupational therapist (OT).

“I had to build a different life,” Kristine said.

While reflecting, Kristine said she kept thinking about two of her aunts who told her how wonderful College of Saint Mary is. One earned a teaching degree at the University in the 1960s and the other worked as a nurse at Mercy Villa.

“I learned through them several years ago about the Mothers Living and Learning program and that they were building a hall to accommodate single mothers and their children,” she said. “A couple years later, when my situation changed, I thought to myself ‘This is the only sane way to do it.’ And I took the leap.”

The generous financial aid package offered by College of Saint Mary included an achievement scholarship, but didn’t quite add up to enough to allow her to afford enrolling.

“But then they offered me a Catherine McAuley grant,” she said, “and that was instrumental in making college affordable for me.”

The Catherine McCauley grant is designed specifically for those in great financial need to ensure they have the opportunity to obtain a College of Saint Mary education.

“Loans would not have been enough to get me through,” Kristine said. “I may have had to give up on that career.”

Now she’s two years through the program and loving life with her family on the College of Saint Mary campus.

“We have a pool, we have a library, we have security, we have a cook. We’re living in a mansion when you think about it,” she said. “We feel safe. The kids love it. They have friends. As we walk across campus, my 4-year-old son waves at the girls and my 2-year-old daughter is very social. The girls know her name and I don’t even know them!”

With three years to go to complete the OT program, Kristine is more than content.

“I’m starting over. Midlife, career change, new direction, completely opposite of what I was doing before. I feel like this is just the next step in my journey.”