BACK TO SCHOOL
“When I got accepted into pharmacy school, and I told her [my daughter], the first thing she said was, ‘I’m so proud of you, Mom,’ and so that’s all I needed to hear because the whole reason I’m doing it is so I can pay for her to go to college and to do things that I didn’t get to do.”
JUDGMENT
“My learning disabilities and my stress disorders—those have probably been the hardest, especially growing up. Being told by my family that I was stupid. Being told by some teachers that I was stupid. That was the hardest. It still affects me. I lack confidence in myself because of all those years I was told I was stupid.”
OPPORTUNITY
As I grew up, there was this sense of being disorganized, and I felt trapped in that, and I really wanted to get out. When you’re little and you grow up that way, you think, “Oh, this is all there is,” but when you see other people who are successful, it changes your perspective on success and gives you hope for opportunity.
FAITH
“Growing up in a poor family, the opportunity for a college education seemed unattainable. As I was now raising my own children and working to make ends meet, I was fortunate to work and worship with individuals who would become mentors and show me that others’ views of me isn’t what I should believe about myself. Due to my faith and mentors, I haven’t given up on my dream of obtaining a college degree.”
BREAKING CYCLES
“You’re never too old to learn. Because I’m now 52, and I started this when I was 48. I’m grandmother of eight…and in me going to college now, I’m showing my grandchildren that, yes, college is important.”.
HURDLES
“I’ve suffered from epilepsy since I was nine… Missing classes is a huge hurdle.”
LABELED
“I never really tried hard or cared because I figured I was learning disabled and I would always be disabled. That stuck with me for a long time.”
RECOVERY
“I want my kids to know that no matter what they go through in life, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Twenty, twenty-five years ago, there was no hope. In another semester or two, I’m going to be walking across that graduation stage.”
COMING BACK
“If you have a story, and you’re able to explain it and show that you’ve done something, then your grades—I mean they matter, but they don’t.”
Purpose
“My purpose, honestly, is to be the best person I can be.”