After Widowhood, a New Start on Life

GOSHEN — In November 2005, Cape May Police Sgt. William Alvarez died suddenly leaving behind his wife Sarah and five children.
That could have been enough to cause some women to give up, to sit on the sofa all day crying and watching the Jerry Springer Show. Not so for Sarah Alvarez.
She had been a stay-at-home mom and had no way of supporting her children other than her widow’s pension. Three months after becoming a widow at the age of 38, she enrolled Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC) and later in Rutgers University, Camden using the outreach campus at ACCC.
“It was difficult at times, I wanted to stop,” she said, in particular finding algebra a challenge after being away from it for a number of years.
She said she burst into tears while handing in her first algebra exam to her professor.
Her attitude was she needed to move forward and not feeling sorry for herself, said Alvarez.
When she was in her early 20s, she was a criminal justice major at ACCC but decided instead to raise a family, ending her academic career. She met her late husband when she worked as a “summer cop” in Cape May.
“Life can be very hard and nobody ever said it was not going to be hard,” said Alvarez.
She said she needed to keep things positive for her children.
While “learning how to learn again,” may be more difficult for someone in their 30s, Alvarez said as an adult she had much more determination to succeed. She did have some distractions at home including taking a test online while two of her children were “fighting” in the living room.
During her first semester in college, he daughter developed viral meningitis which required a lot of help from her family including them spending time at the hospital, cooking dinners and picking the kids up at school. She is the niece of former Cape May Police Chief Robert Boyd.
Alvarez is a lifelong resident of the county and a graduate of Lower Cape May Regional High School.
She said she prayed before taking every test. Alvarez graduated summa cum laude in May with a degree in Political Science, which she calls the “science of who gets what and why.” She had the highest grade point average for the Political Science Department at Rutgers, Camden.
Political Science studies governments, policy, revolutions, political theory and even counterterrorism.
“I loved every second of it, she said.
She said she is grateful for her family, healthy children and the opportunity to go back to school.
“I think I am the most blessed person that I know,” said Alvarez.
Alvarez said she had a strong support group including her family, church and fiancé. Education is the key especially with the current state of the economy, she said.
Alvarez said her ultimate goal is to go to law school and practice as a civil attorney. Her youngest child is nine years old so that may have to wait a few years, she said. Under consideration for Alvarez, an additional Bachelor’s Degree in Employee Management and Labor Relations.