Tiffany Sobczak, a woman who wears many hats.

Student, full-time worker. Athlete, literary scholar. Wife, divorcee. Daughter, mother.

There’s no question that Tiffany Sobczak fits a number of descriptions, yet somehow she manages to fulfill each different persona in a 24-hour day. 8 credit hours of classes in Denton, 12-hour work days in Fort Worth and a family in Burleson are just a few of the mainstays of the 28-year-old’s daily life.

Sobcak grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and remained there through her high school graduation from Arlington Heights High School in 1999. There, she was involved in several different athletics teams, but that’s not what kept her attention. Sobcak wrote for her school newspaper and worked on the yearbook, thus discovering her passion for writing at a young age.

She then attended the University of Texas at Arlington for a year with a major in journalism. She thoroughly enjoyed her freshman year of college, as so many do–but perhaps a little too much. The next year, she left UTA to attend Tarrant County Community College in an effort to reverse the effects that the “too-much-partying” syndrome–one that afflicts many college freshman–had had on her GPA.

After a year at TCC, Sobczak moved to the University of North Texas in Denton, TX to try her hand at a university education once more. She began writing articles for the university’s newspaper The NT Daily. Though she had intended to harness her passion for writing into a career in the media as a reporter, her experiences at the NT Daily made her realize that her interests had been misplaced–her devotion to journalism just wasn’t there.

“I realized that I had more of a passion for literature and English.”

Seeking a career in the media seems to be a common misinterpretation of interests by many with strong English and literary skills. After delving into the field and, ultimately, the lifestyle of a journalist at the college level, Sobczak knew that it wasn’t the right fit for her.

Her life proceeded to take a different turn several years later when she fell in love, got married, moved to Burleson, TX and had her son Lucas Alexander, now 4 years old. However, it was only the beginning of tough times ahead. Her marriage began to crumble, and she now finds herself amidst a divorce from her husband. Though he is very involved in Lucas’ life, she says, he is not currently employed, leaving the large financial burden of raising a son on her shoulders. She works 12-hour days and 50-hour work weeks at the 8.0 bar in downtown Ft. Worth–a job she says she enjoys, but is definitely necessary.

“I like the money, and I like the people, but it’s just long hours.”

After a brief hiatus from school to take care of other happenings in her personal life, Sobczak returned to the University of North Texas and enrolled in the Fall 2009 semester. Her mother, who recently sold her condo and is living with Sobczak until she moves, helps ease the financial burden by helping pay for her university tuition.

Sobczak is only 8 hours away from graduating with a BA in journalism. Though she knows she no longer wishes to pursue a career in the field, she plans to go back to school and get her teacher certificate to teach middle or high school English in the future.
In what little free time she has, Sobczak relieves stress and takes time to herself by playing sand volleyball, softball and spending a lot of time at the gym, even taking body pump classes.

“I take them, but I hate them,” she laughs.

Sobcak’s 29th birthday is fast approaching on September 24th–coincidentally the same week as her 10-year high school reunion. As she has been through a lot over the course of the past ten years, Sobczak is excited to go back and see where her old classmates’ lives have ended up.

But more importantly, she is excited to see where her own will take her.

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