I think you nailed it - not that I'm trying to push any blame on anyone - but I didn't have that support. Neither my mom or my dad went to college, our high school was a miserable excuse for an education system (seriously, look up Sto-Rox High School news reports; everything you see now was just coming to fruition about when I graduated), and the family that did continue on (two uncles) I was never close with, so they really didn't have an opportunity to reach out.

Again, I certainly could have been more adamant about pursuing my own resources, but what's done is done. I'm glad you were able to achieve such a positive experience from it.