ARCC Student Overcomes Hardships While Earning Her Degree

Being a straight A student often takes commitment, determination, and drive. For Miranda Baldwin, a student attending Anoka-Ramsey Community College, it means that and much more after overcoming poverty and near homelessness.

Baldwin began attending Anoka-Ramsey Community College after graduating from Cambridge high school in 2009. Baldwin chose to attend the Cambridge campus because it was close to home, only a 20-minute bike ride. The college’s reputation for friendly staff and affordable classes was also what drew her to it.

“I want to be a scientist in a lab and do research, whether it be the cure for cancer or finding new fuel resources,” said Baldwin. She hopes to earn an Associates degree in science at Anoka-Ramsey, and then transfer to Mankato to earn a Bachelors degree in biological sciences.

Baldwin’s life is not without problems, however. Baldwin has had a history of poverty. “When I was younger, my mom essentially had to raise three kids on a minimum wage salary,” said Baldwin. “Sometimes she got child support, sometimes she didn’t.” Baldwin explained that being a single mother was tough on all of them. Herself, her sister, and her brother didn’t always get the best toys and their food often came from the food shelf. “It was embarrassing to admit to your friends that you were the one eating the food being donated at the school can drive,” Baldwin recalled.

Two years after graduating high school, Baldwin’s mother is still the only one with a job. Baldwin explained that she has done her best to find work. She has applied for various jobs, only to be turned away because of her college schedule. “A lot of people want full time workers who can come in and work overtime. I’m a college student and I have other priorities, so I guess it just doesn’t always work out,” said Baldwin.

Without a steady income, Baldwin has had to rely on grants and scholarships to pay for rent and school. “Without the grants, I probably wouldn’t even be able to come here,” Baldwin said. While she still lives with her mother, she describes the living conditions as tenuous at best. “My sister moved out a while ago, but there are still three people living on one paycheck,” Baldwin explained.

Last year was especially tough, recalled Baldwin. The rent on her mother’s apartment had gone up and she couldn’t support all three family members anymore. Baldwin had to move out. “It was a terrible, unsettling experience, never knowing where you were going to sleep or when you’d get your next shower,” she said.

 Baldwin moved between friends and family, sleeping in a different bed almost every night. “I think I moved eight or nine times that year,” said Baldwin. “First I moved up to Duluth with my dad for a few months, then I was with my boyfriend for a couple months. I didn’t have a job so I couldn’t pay them rent.”

Baldwin recalled the experience of constantly moving and living with different people as sometimes difficult. “Every person and place was different. When I lived with my dad, I had to deal with living in a bat and spider infested basement. Living with some of my friends, it was a very Darwinian experience where you tried to eat the groceries and hoard your food first, otherwise, you were stuck buying your own food,” Baldwin explained. In the end, she was thankful for the support from her friends. “Without them,” she said, “I would’ve probably been on the streets.”

During this time, Baldwin was still attending Anoka-Ramsey Community College. She was determined to earn her Associates degree and enrolled full time. “It was tough, but I managed to keep my GPA above a 3.7,” said Baldwin. She received high grades in all her classes that year and landed a part time job working at the campus bookstore for the summer.

After almost a year of moving around, Baldwin’s mother found a cheaper apartment and she was allowed to move back in. With four years to go before graduating, Baldwin can look back and find some comfort in the fact that she is doing something to change her situation for the better. By earning her degree, she hopes to not only become independent and financially secure, but also to pursue her passion in science.