Casey County native April Polston could never have imagined the year she turned 30 would also be the year she would become a widow and find herself the sole provider for her two boys.
Polston, now 31, said although last year was difficult, giving up never crossed her mind. Instead, she pushed ahead in her college coursework and became more determined than ever to succeed.
April’s Story
Allison M. Horseman — Somerset Community and Technical College
Polston married her high school sweetheart at age 17. She and her husband, Douglas Wayne Polston Jr., moved to Hawaii where he was stationed as a U.S. Marine. Soon, Polston found herself pregnant and Douglas found himself deployed to Afghanistan.
Knowing that she would need help, Polston moved back home to Casey County until her husband returned from overseas.
“He missed the first year of our son’s life,” Polston said, speaking of her son Kace, now 13. “But he loved it. He joined right after 9/11 and felt it was his duty and his calling.”
After returning to Hawaii for a year, the couple was relocated to Camp Pendleton in California. Soon after, they found out they were expecting a second son, Kyle, now age 10. Again, Douglas was deployed and Polston moved back to Kentucky while he was serving his country.
While she was in Kentucky, Polston began school at Somerset Community College (SCC), but with the life of the military and two small kids, she couldn’t continue. Determined to finish school, she enrolled at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, once her husband returned from his second deployment.
When Douglas returned, though, he was injured. In October 2012, he was medically retired from the U.S. Marine Corp.
“We lost our base housing immediately,” Polston said.
With nowhere to go, her two boys in school, and close to finishing her own degree, Polston said she and her husband decided to live in a hotel for almost three months so she could continue college studies and the kids could finish their year. Through sheer determination, Polston earned an associate’s degree in Liberal Studies.
“There was no way I was quitting,” she said.
With limited options, Polston and her family moved back to Casey County in December 2012.
“The lifestyle was dramatically different,” she said. “We were really struggling financially.”
Polston was working at Rite-Aid but knew she wanted to go back to school at some point. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but lunch with her favorite high school teacher, Mike True, served as the catalyst for a life-altering decision, she said.
“Mr. True was my electricity teacher in high school,” Polston said. “My dad and I had lunch with him one day and he told me he was going to call Nick Tomlinson at SCC and I should consider the Industrial Maintenance Technology program. I met with Nick on a Friday and was starting the following Monday.”
Walking into a predominately male-dominated classroom was intimidating, Polston said.
“I was the only girl,” she said. “But, after a few days, I knew it was the right choice for me. Now, I certainly hold my own and am right there with the guys.”
Polston started the program in August 2016. In November of that year, her world flipped upside down when her husband was killed in a car accident. Because he wasn’t on active duty, Polston and her sons were denied military benefits, throwing more obstacles in her path.
“Looking back, I know if I hadn’t been enrolled at SCC when all this happened, I may not have made it. The support I received here at SCC has been wonderful, and I knew I couldn’t quit. I had to make this work for me, for my kids and in honor of my husband.”
Polston not only managed everything on her plate but she excelled. She made the Dean’s List and was able to bring her kids to SCC to see what she was working on in class.
“My kids think it’s the coolest thing ever,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘my mom can do anything!’”
Polston graduated in May 2018 with no debt thanks to grants and living extremely tight, she said, and her future is bright, according to SCC Industrial Maintenance Assistant Professor Butch Tincher.
“April was a dedicated and gifted student,” Tincher said. “In a male-dominated field, there are wonderful opportunities for qualified females. She has strengths in critical thinking, dedication, and curiosity – all which are required to be good in this field. And, she’s a natural leader.”
“I hope to someday buy my own house,” Polston said.
As she neared graduation, Polston spoke of how proud she was and how far she’s come.
“Reality often smacks me in the face,” she said. “It’s surreal at times, but it’s also empowering. The things I’ve dealt with in my life drive me forward. I want to teach my kids that when things are hard, you get tough and keep going.”
Polston recently accepted a position with CIRCOR/IMO pumps as a maintenance technician.