My name is Kameron Sheppard, and my journey to graduation has been anything but traditional. I graduated from Dulles High School in 2012 with dreams of attending the University of Texas at Austin. Unfortunately, my GPA and test scores were too low to be accepted directly. However, I was offered an opportunity through the Coordinated Admissions Program (CAP), which guaranteed admission to UT Austin if I completed 30 credit hours and maintained a 3.2 GPA at a sister school. Because of my academic record, I was only accepted into UT Brownsville.

After a year there, I maintained a 3.0 GPA and transferred to UTSA. I initially majored in Political Science with aspirations of becoming a lawyer, but quickly realized it wasn’t my passion. I switched to Communications, but financial struggles hit hard. Without enough support from my parents, I couldn’t afford to stay, and I had to move back home to Houston.

During this time, I picked up Daily Fantasy Sports and became very skilled at it, but poor bankroll management caused me to lose most of my winnings. I also suffered the loss of a long-time relationship, and it felt like everything was falling apart around me. Watching my ex-girlfriend achieve her dream of becoming a pharmacist was a tough pill to swallow, but it ultimately motivated me to refocus on my own goals.

I enrolled at Houston Community College and, after years of ups and downs, I am proud to say I am finally graduating with my associate’s degree. This is just the beginning , I will be continuing my education at the University of Houston with the goal of becoming a sports broadcaster on ESPN.

This journey has taught me that setbacks are setups for comebacks. I am Kameron Sheppard, and my story is just getting started, because like the cliche goes it’s not about how you start, but how you finish.