by Julie M. Fidler
UACCB Freelance Writer
BATESVILLE - Once thought of as a high school dropout, single mother Lauri Sparks of Batesville is showing her daughters how to set one's mind on a goal and achieve it. She also plans to use her college degree to help other children.
Sparks, a first-year student in her second semester at University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, was recently inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of 2-year colleges. PTK is headquartered in Jackson, Miss., and has more than 2 million members in more than 1,200 chapters in nations including the United States, Canada, Germany and Japan.
Phi Theta Kappa's purpose is to recognize and encourage scholarship among 2-year college students. To fulfill this purpose, Phi Theta Kappa provides an outlet for leadership development, fellowship among student members, community service and continuing academic excellence.
Amanda Roberts, first year experience coordinator and PTK sponsor, said, "Lauri is a new member to our honor society. She has shared such excitement and enthusiasm with me about making the honor society. She was thrilled to join PTK and told me about going back to school for her daughters. She wanted to show them you can do anything. I was very touched by her."
"Lauri has already demonstrated she will be an active PTK member by jumping in this semester to help out with PTK activities."
Three years ago, Sparks was working at a Batesville home improvement store when she took a job as a business development representative for a local company.
"I was there exactly two years," said Sparks, "before our entire department here in Batesville got laid off."
Sparks said she gave her situation a lot of thought and prayer. "I thought my next logical step was to go back to school. It's Batesville, and I was making really good money that I wasn't going to find without a degree."
Receiving unemployment benefits, she signed up for classes at UACCB. "I went back to school, and it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done," she said.
Sparks learned, to continue receiving unemployment, she would be required to work toward earning an associate's degree. At first, she looked at nursing and changed her mind. "There is a special place in heaven for nurses," she said, "and I will not belong in that place."
Next, she looked at the criminal justice 2-year degree plan. "Criminal justice kind of interests me, but you've got to pass," Sparks said she told herself. "'You've got a pretty colorful past.' Then I thought, it'll work out. And, it has. It is very interesting."
During her first semester, Sparks took Introduction to Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement Ethics and Introduction to Forensic Science, her favorite class.
"This semester is Legal Writing, my least favorite class," she said. "I do well in it, but I'm not a writer. Criminal Investigations is pretty exciting, and there's also Criminal Procedures/Evidence."
Upcoming classes include Juvenile Justice, Police Community Relations and Arkansas Criminal Law. Sparks filled out her schedule with other required courses including English Composition I and II, College Algebra and Principles of Sociology. Her schedule is full with six classes, or 18 credit hours.
Sparks finished her first semester at UACCB with a 3.8 grade point average and was invited to join the honor society. PTK requires students to: be enrolled in a regionally accredited institution offering an associate degree program; complete at least 12 hours of coursework that may be applied to an associate degree; have a grade point average of at least 3.5; receive a membership invitation; and adhere to the moral standards of the society.
About PTK, Sparks said, "They do a lot of community work, which kind of struck me. I really liked that. We're going to be doing the March of Dimes and Relay for Life."
She recently joined other students in helping out with the annual Renaissance Days event at the college. "I think next year I might take my oldest daughter out of school and take her to that. It’s very educational."
Sparks has two daughters, Aimee, 13, and Alayna, 6. "They are just so good," she said about the girls. "They've been very supportive."
She said she has changed her outlook because of PTK. "When I was inducted, my oldest, Aimee, just wrapped her arms around me and said, 'Mama, I am so proud of you.' It warmed my heart, and I'm doing right by my kids. I'm showing them it can be done. They can do this, and they're proud of me. They look at me, and they're proud to say, 'That’s my mom.'"
In 2001, when her oldest daughter was about to begin kindergarten, Sparks passed the General Education Development test. "I got my GED because I thought, what kind of person am I to say to her, 'You have to finish school,' and I can't just go back and get my GED?"
Upon receiving her associate of applied science degree in criminal justice next year, Sparks plans to attend Arkansas State University in Newport where she hopes to get a bachelor's degree and work with area law enforcement's crimes against children division.
