We picked up Marie from school on Thursday, December 17th. It was a wet and rainy day as we made the 3 hour trek to pick her up. Traffic was strangely thin and we made good timing there and back. The girls, Micah and I were so excited to see her and bring her home. Marie chatted eagerly about finals, the end of the school year, and prepping for the new semester in January on the way home. She told me that she wore her red Santa hat and red lipstick every single day, from Nov. 30th until her last day of finals, two days before. Now, I will admit that I was taken aback at the thought of her wearing red lipstick, especially since she is so fair, however in just 4 days that hat and the red lips would be her saving grace! Let me explain…
Marie left school with straight A’s in her 6 classes she took Fall semester! Late Sunday night, she was checking her grades again and noticed that her one of her professors had marked her off –75 points for attendance. I told her to call in the morning, but to send an email that night. Monday morning the professor had written back saying that his attendance book showed that she did not sign in for 8 classes! WHAT!?! The professor could not figure out why a student with an A average would miss that many unexcused classes, and said he would only take off –75 points instead of the –300 that would have been the standard deduction and an automatic “F”.
Marie and the professor spoke and emailed several times over the course of Monday, when the professor said show me your notes for those days. That’s when my heart sank…Marie threw away all her notes and papers in preparations for the new semester in January. EVERYTHING! I did not know what to tell her, her notes would prove she was in the class those days. She told the professor where she sat in class each day, and that she wore the Santa hat and red lips, but he wanted notes to show proof.
I was angry, sad, and discouraged all at once. Marie worked so hard to earn straight A’s during the semester and it was slipping away over something so small as her initials. Mr. M was not available by email in those days proceeding so I could write all I wanted, but I didn’t get a response to know whether or not he knew what was happening. It was stressful and I probably sprouted a few more grey hairs! As I dropped McKenzie off at her practice Monday evening, I prayed that a gymnastics mom I know who has “been there, done that”, with her daughters was at the gym to offer any advice. Thank you Ashley for your advice! It meant the world to me to hear another perspective and other options that might be available to try.
And then my phone rang out of the blew while talking to Ashley. It wasn’t a number I recognized but I answered it anyways and it was Mr. M! Thank you Lord!!! He had no idea what was going on, so I asked him to just listen to me for a few minutes so I could talk and get it all out. In the end, Mr. M wanted the professors email so that he could in turn email him. I love this man! He listened the whole time I talked in the parking lot in tears.
Mr. M was able to email the professor even though it was after midnight, his time, and even call me back to let me know it was sent. So Marie and I waited, all night long for a response from either M or the professor. And as it would be, email was done again, so we didn’t hear anything on the matter until mid-day Tuesday. Yes, stressful and more grey hairs.
In the end, the professor “extended grace to Marie, because grace had been extended to him.” Let the tears flow again and reason #58 why I love this university! All Marie has to do is go to the professors office in January with the girls she sat with and have them vouch that indeed she was present. The professor remembers her in the hat and lips, because she sat in the front row, every.single.day and stood out from her normal attire and appearance.
So, Marie has learned a life lesson in this whole situation and will not be throwing away anything until courses are finalized. I am grateful to the Professor in believing Marie’s word and extending grace to her two days before Christmas.
In the end, Marie has made the Dean’s list and has earned 5 A’s and 1 B, (89.6%) in Psychology, which technically should be rounded to 90% but the professor is being a stickler about rounding up. But you know what?! I know it’s an A, Marie knows its an A, so we will leave it at that and know that making the Dean’s List with a 3.81 GPA is a huge accomplishment for the first semester of Freshman year!
The weeks have flown by as we wrap up the eighth week of Blogging Through the Alphabet with Meg @ Adventures with Judeand Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm. Be sure to check out the posts from this week and see how creative everyone is as we make our way from A to Z.
Missed a post? Catch up with the links below.
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