An advocate for students

Once forbidden to go to college, single mother Jennifer Paulsen earns two degrees and teaching credential

By California State University, Bakersfield

May 17^th, 2022

After eight years, California State University, Bakersfield student Jennifer Paulsen is leaving the university after earning her teaching credential this semester.

Paulsen transferred to CSUB from Bakersfield College in 2014 and went on to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, all while juggling work responsibilities and being a single mother to her 10-year-old son Jeremy, who was just a toddler when she first started at the university.

“I’m really excited to be done. It’s been a long journey,” she said. “This has been the end goal.”

Paulsen will soon be able to put her degrees to use. She has been hired by the Kern High School District as a dual-enrollment history teacher for the upcoming school year at Foothill High School. Through dual enrollment, students can earn college credits while completing their high school requirements.

“It was a pinch-me moment. It felt like I was in someone else’s dream,” she said of first hearing she was hired. “I was in a class when I found out, and I had to hold back the tears because I’ve been working for this moment for so long.”

Paulsen has held several jobs on campus at places such as the bookstore and the Graduate Student Center. However, she said she sometimes had to use financial aid or take out loans to be able to pay her bills.

“No longer do I have to worry about how I’m going to pay for rent, how I’m going to provide for my son. All these doors are finally open,” she said.

Paulsen benefitted from several scholarships that helped her achieve her educational goals at the university, including a CSUB Alumni Association Scholarship, Carl E. Miller Memorial Scholarship and Dorothy Jane Jones Memorial Scholarship.

“I will forever feel incredibly honored to be among the scholarship and award recipients of CSUB. The accomplishments have instilled a sense of honor and humility that I will carry with me, always,” she said. "They helped reduce the stress and worry I constantly carried with me. It helped me to meet my financial obligations so I could focus more on my son and my studies.”

Paulsen had initially considered just getting her master’s and being a professor at the community college level, but one of her professors, Dr. Alicia Rodriquez, thought she would be a good K-12 teacher and encouraged Paulsen to pursue a single-subject teaching credential.

“I’m pleased to see that she has found her calling as a high school teacher, and that in August she will begin teaching at Foothill High School,” Dr. Rodriquez said. “Foothill is fortunate to gain such a caring, supportive and thoughtful teacher. I’m very happy for Jennifer, and for the students she will work with at Foothill.”

A forbidden journey

Paulsen’s college education began later than initially intended. While she had wanted to start prior to 2014, Paulsen said the man she was married to at the time forbade her from pursuing higher education. After divorcing him, however, college was one of her first priorities.

“It’s not easy believing in yourself, especially coming from the marriage I left, but I continued to fight for my son. I wanted to prove to him that we could have a better life, one that is safe, supporting and loving,” she said. “Now that I am reaching the end of my program and have a career waiting for me, my son and I can look forward to the future opportunities life brings our way.”

At CSUB, Paulsen said she frequently had to take her son with her to classes and events on campus, as getting childcare was sometimes difficult.

“He grew up seeing mom going to school,” she said. “He sees the dedication I’ve been putting in, and hopefully that helps inspires him to do the same with his school.”

Having self-confidence was also major challenge for Paulsen when she first came CSUB, having just ended a turbulent 10-year marriage. She took advantage of counseling and other services on campus to help keep her focused on her schoolwork.

Paulsen said her professors at the university were very understanding of her situation and helped get her through some of her toughest moments.

“CSUB has been one of the few constants in my life,” she said. “My professors were very influential in building me up and helping me keep going. Without their help, I would have felt even more overwhelmed and might not have succeeded. I’m eternally thankful that I was welcomed and supported through everything, even when I had very little confidence in myself.”

While she is sad to be leaving CSUB behind, Paulsen is also looking forward to working with high school students and hopes to provide the same kind of support and encouragement that she received at the university.

“I decided to become a high school teacher to be an advocate for students and to be a constant source of encouragement for them, if even for just that school year,” she said. “My hope is to turn my life experiences into a story that will help others, and my biggest aspiration is to be a welcoming and encouraging teacher for students. No matter what they are facing, I want to help them know that they are seen, appreciated and supported.”