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| Greunke overcomes obstacles and earns master’s degree |
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| Written by Maddy Houk / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Friday, 09 May 2008 | |
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“I love my mom a lot. She’s the hardest worker I know. She's always dedicated to what she does — she sets her mind to it and get it done. She’s the best mom that I could ever ask for.” — Brandon Greunke Carolyn’s son When Carolyn Greunke was in a rehabilitation hospital 12 years ago after a car accident, a hospital worker told her she would never be able to raise her children on her own. “My thing in life is, it doesn’t take my legs to be a mom,” Greunke said. “It’s who I am inside — I can raise my kids.” Greunke, 44, has been in a wheelchair ever since. She raised her children to adulthood, worked full time, and graduated from University of Phoenix in Fresno with a master’s degree in psychology last month. Today, her children are or are almost adults. The oldest, Marty, is 22, while the others are Kristina, 21, Nick, 19, Brandon, 18, and Mindy, 17 (Katelyn, Brandon’s twin, died of cancer in November 2004). “I love my mom a lot — she’s the hardest worker I know,” Brandon said. “She’s always dedicated to what she does — she sets her mind to it and gets it done. She’s the best mom that I could ever ask for.”  Overcoming a lifetime of hardships, Patterson’s Carolyn Greunke is a testament of will power. Greunke recently received her master’s degree in psychology and is giving back to the community by working for the Center for Human Services in Patterson. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Through it all, folks who meet Greunke don’t feel sorry for her, but are moved by her positive attitude and zest for life. One time, friend Lee Merchant remembers, Greunke met San Francisco 49ers star Steve Young: “After Steve Young talked to her for a while, she said to him, ‘May I have your autograph?’” Merchant remembers. “He said, ‘Yes, and may I have your autograph?’” Greunke, a mental health clinician, has been working for the past two months at Patterson’s Center for Human Services. She is employed by the Patterson Unified School District and assesses, diagnoses and counsels students and families. “Through my life experiences, I can relate to the many issues my clients bring to me,” Greunke said. Merchant, a psychology professor at MJC, remembers the day when Greunke first sat down in her class. “She rolled into my psych class six years ago, and you know she could hardly write, and most of the time she could hardly think,” Merchant said. “She had a cerebral infection and antibiotics were being pumped into her body. In my 26 years of teaching, I’ve never seen anyone less prepared for college success. Look at her now — she has a master’s (degree).” Merchant, who has remained friends with Greunke over the years, said Greunke is inspiring and has a big smile every day. Merchant’s classes adopted the Greunkes for Christmas a couple of years and gave the children Christmas presents. While at MJC, Greunke was also voted Student of the Year. In turn, Greunke gave back to the class when she made a cake for the entire class for Merchant’s birthday. “This woman will stay up all night baking for people,” Merchant said. “Her cookies are legendary — everybody loves her cookies. One time, she baked a cake that was six cake mixes big, and she brought it in on her lap in her wheelchair. We served it to the entire class of 35 to 40 people.” Greunke worked full time at California AAA in Livermore while attending school at Chapman University in Modesto, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. Through it all, she remembered the naysayer who told her if she went back to school she would set herself up for failure. “To me, failure is not receiving an F — it’s giving up,” Hider said. “If I did get an F, I’d take (the class) over and over again until I passed. I was so focused to go ahead.” As time neared to graduate from Chapman, daughter Katelyn died of cancer. And about the same time, Hider was hospitalized with a life-threatening illness. She promised Katelyn she would go on and achieve what she set out to do. “Katelyn said, ‘Don’t stop at your bachelor’s — go for your master’s’” Hider remembers. “It’s been a mission. My kids have been such a support to me — when I feel like quitting, they lift me up.” Longtime friend Cathy Woodruff, who started at MJC the same time as Hider, remembers when she would visit the hospital to see Hider, who would invariably be studying. “The only time I’ve known her to drop a class was when Katelyn was really sick,” Woodruff said. “It was amazing that education was that important to her. She went on to the master’s program.” Woodruff said her friend is really good at “giving back.” Two Christmases ago, Hider was the motivational speaker for Community Hospice in Modesto, and last year she volunteered at a homeless shelter in Manteca. “When she’s helping people, she can say, ‘I’ve been there, done that,’” Woodruff said. “Her focus now is American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. Finding a cure for cancer is her No. 1 priority.” Mindy said her mom is an amazing person and mother. “She deserves the best — without her, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” Mindy said. Kristina said her mom is the biggest inspiration for her, her brothers and her sisters. “No matter what she’s gone through, she’s always come back twice as strong,” Kristina said. “We’re just lucky to have her as our mom.” Hider said this will be her best Mother’s Day because she has accomplished her academic goals, has a job she loves, and a family she is proud of. “Your trials, to me, are your strengths,” Hider said. “That’s who I became — my strengths. To me, it’s not how you walk through life — even though I am in a wheelchair. It’s what you do with your life.” To reach Maddy Houk at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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