“Sometimes you need to get knocked down before you can really figure out what your fight is and how you need to fight it”.

This was a powerful statement that was embedded in my mind throughout my years of college . This quote  was shared by the late great , Chadwick Boseman  . This statement spoke to me throughout my semesters and helped me accomplish the things I’ve accomplished. Now look… here i am Finally being close to accomplishing my goal  something that once felt so impossible is actually happening in my life  .

My years at Hcc was like race .A race i had to keep chasing if i wanted to reach the finish line  . A race that had obstacles in my path that i could not control but had to jump over . A race that emotionally effected me  because my focus was on  trying to look at my surroundings to see whose in the stands supporting me . A race that when i trip and fell i instantly felt shame . A race that i often felt discouraged around those who completed before me . A race that kept my mind in shambles of if I’ll ever  win .

I was distracted by so many things when my focus should have been only  reaching the finish line no matter the obstacles and the failures because the only important matter

Was that i  finished . This quote Boseman shared was a reminder that though i faced the shadings and beating and failures and distractions God allow me to have all these things occur because he wanted me to truly understand the goal of the race and to use my resources to overcome the obstacles to complete the race . Not to win the race or to lose it but to complete it .

After High school i had  dreams and aspirations of attending Prairie View A & M and to pursue a  business major . I also wanted to commit to a sorority such as Delta Sigma Theta . However , God had other plans for me . My mom would always advise i start off small then lead into big . She would constantly say “ you’ll let anything discourage you and the smallest thing would have you packing your bags to drop out “…. And honestly, she was absolutely right as soon as it got close for school to start i instantly got discouraged and decided to start off small then transfer .

Here i am on a Monday morning of August 19 , 2024  holding up a small piece of paper reading off the room number to report to my class . My professor greeting me with a warm welcome . I’ll never forget how before started our introductions she gave us a heart warming speech about how we should  live within the moment, to have gratitude and be grateful with everything that’s aligns with our path , to not be able to fail but to be content with just trying and pursuing. Last but not least to understand failure creates success so what may look like you lost is actually a win because your life is a learning experience . With that being said Professor Beverly Hixion if you ever come across this . Thank you for sharing that heartfelt message i truly needed  .

During my second year of college i lost my sister October 11th 2020 . She too was attending here at Houston Community College with me . We both had dreams and aspirations to graduate with our associates at the same time to be able to walk together . Unfortunately her race ended early . She was my biggest supporter and inspiration through everything . She always reminded me that if life gets hard take a day off and then try again but never give up and to pray about everything . So i took a year off and couldn’t get myself back up to finish school i had so much to catch up on and so many class i needed to complete then came Covid and at that point life knocked  me down .  In the midst of me taking therapy and pushing myself to finish what me and my sister started i then re- enrolled in 2023 with a open mindset pushing and seeking to finish .

I share my story to say Chads words was my life experience. I need to get knocked down before i could really figure out what my fight was and how i need to fight it and here i am today a few weeks away from walking the state .