 "Photo: The Olympian/Ted Copeland")
Picked to speak at the 2010 Olympic College commencement ceremony, Tara Marie Wilson is excited about the opportunity to inspire her fellow graduates.
Wilson was born Jan. 11, 1977 in Bremerton. She has lived in Bremerton her entire life and has little experience visiting other places with the exception of California and South Dakota. She attended Olympic High School and transferred to Central Kitsap Alternative High School before eventually obtaining a General Education Diploma.
Wilson described her time before attending OC as a time in which she was lost in life.
She became pregnant as a teenager but would never describe her children as obstacles in pursuing her path in life. She admits to allowing herself to become distracted, not just from pursuing her education and dreams, but from being the mother she eventually became.
She worked at TeleTech in Bremerton for four years. While working there she started making changes in her life.
“I discarded bad habits such as smoking and drinking,” said Wilson. “I became bored, so I started trying new activities and began seeking new directions to move in.”
Wilson said a big inspirational moment in her life took place when she had a conversation with her cousin who was just 19 years old at the time. She said her cousin told her about her dreams and ambitions. She was adamant about making them her goals and achieving them, no matter what distractions came along.
Shortly thereafter, Wilson enrolled at OC. She didn’t know where it would eventually take her, but she knew she had to change her life.
Wilson said, “I didn’t graduate from high school. I was smoking and drinking too much. I lost custody of my kids. I was on a path heading to nowhere. I knew I had to change.”
During Wilson’s first year at OC she said she asked a lot of questions and did a lot of exploring while trying to decide what further education she should pursue and what she should choose as a career.
During her time at Olympic College, Wilson said she tried her best to create her own opportunities as well as give back to others. She did so by asking to be a part of the work-study program in which she became an assistant to the lab technicians in the biology and chemistry programs. She also asked to be a part of the tutoring program and became a tutor for mathematics and physics.
Wilson said, “You learn things from listening to everyone around you and openly exchanging ideas. It’s amazing how conversation opens doors.”
Wilson will be graduating as a Dean Scholar and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa society.
Soon she will be attending Western Washington University to earn a Bachelor of Science in physics with a minor in mathematics. Her goal is to ultimately earn a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, focusing on thermodynamics, electromagnetism and quantum physics. She said she hopes to someday work for an energy company and be a part of the movement toward green energy.
Wilson said she has a lot of respect for the environment and she sees her future career as her way to make her positive impact on the world and society. She said she thinks it’s important to leave the biggest positive impact you possibly can. It’s something that she is also trying to teach her children.
Wilson has been married for 8 years and regained custody of her two children. Her son is 15 years old and her daughter will be 13 years old in June. She said she thinks it’s important to show them that everyone should chase their dreams and she’s leading by example.
She said she is very excited about the opportunity to inspire her fellow graduates.
“Olympic College has given me this insight because of the great instructors I’ve been honored to have learned from,” said Wilson.
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