As the first in my family of six to earn a degree, achieving my associate’s has been a lifelong dream ever since I saw my mom receive hers from Lee College. Telling her I would too and actually accomplishing that feels surreal.

This journey hasn’t been easy, with professors ignoring emails, a counselor mistakenly placing me in a class I’d already completed, and being in classes I wasn’t supposed to be in. But thanks to my Lord and Savior, what was supposed to be two more communication classes turned into a blessing. Out of nowhere, He prompted my counselor to substitute the communication classes I’m in right now, allowing me to finish the total hours for my degree.

Despite the challenges of my education journey, I stay motivated because nowadays you need a degree to be competitive in the job market. Having this degree will open doors that would otherwise remain closed. Another source of motivation comes from my friends, because I’ve intentionally surrounded myself with people who share similar dreams and aspirations. My pastor, Joel Osteen, wisely said, ‘You’ll never see eagles soar with chickens.’ Essentially, if you aim for success, you need to associate with successful individuals, and I’m confident that their positive influence will inspire and elevate me as well.

Walking across that stage will lift a twenty-thousand-pound weight off my back because I wanted to uphold the promise I made to my mom. Seeing my family and friends at my graduation party is definitely going to hit different because all of my hard work will finally pay off. Those who doubted me during this process will be proven wrong, and it’s not just about proving them wrong, but proving myself right.