The Journey to My Degree

This past Sunday, I graduated with my B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication, and it left me on a natural high. Obtaining my degree was something that I have wanted for quite some time, and when I finally got it, it felt surreal. The journey to completing my schooling years was a long, strenuous process, but here I am today.

Why was the journey so difficult? Let’s make a quick trip down memory lane.

When I graduated high school in 2012, I was confused about where I wanted to be career-wise. And, although I was accepted into a four-year college in my hometown state Arkansas, I was not ready to leave home (I still moved to my own apartment a year later ironically). So what did I do? I enrolled at the local community college to get the general courses out of the way.

As time went on, I felt as though I was not getting anywhere at the community college. So, in 2014, I enrolled myself in a technical school for a veterinary tech program (basically a nursing assistant to the veterinarian).

It may seem random, but I love animals and figured, why not make a career out of it? Unfortunately, it was a very short-lived feeling. Although I LOVE the creatures, performing many of the tasks I had to do was not so fun. I had to draw blood from rats, clip chicken toenails, micro-chip cats, shave the dogs for neutering, and the list goes on and on. Ummm, Dorothy was not in Kansas anymore, and I realized this was not the life for me lol.

I did not have to plan much of an exit because early on in 2015, I became pregnant with Korbin. And, due to him arriving nearly three months before his due date, I had to withdraw from school. However, I knew that I needed to get my head on straight and decide which direction I would go for my career with a little one. So, I re-enrolled in the community college to become a sign language interpreter. Becoming an interpreter always had interested me, and I enjoy helping others, so the choice sounded easy. In 2017, I obtained my Associate of Arts in General Studies, but once again, I began to have a change of heart on what I wanted to do in life.

It seems like I am all over the place, huh? But, things are finally coming together, I promise.

After much soul-searching, I concluded that I needed to do what I always had a passion for, writing. Ever since I was a child, I loved writing and reading. It would excite me to find new books and to create fictional stories from the craziest ideas. Writing was my escape from reality, and it still is at times.

It took a while for me to find the right college that would fit my needs as a working mom, but after failed attempts at two universities, I found the perfect one for me. So, in 2019, I enrolled in the University of a Global Campus (formerly known as Ashford University) for their journalism program. I won’t lie, it was difficult. With working, parenting, and attending school fully online, some days, I did not know if I was coming or going. Oh, yea, add another child in there (Ahmad was born last year), and a pandemic, and you have yourself a crazy person! But I did it.

And, here’s where I tell you to keep going…

I am super passionate about this blog post because I am living proof that you can do anything that you set your mind to if you want it. Every journey will not be easy, and every path with not be clear, but it is important to keep going. If there is something in this world that you want, make every attempt to get it. The last thing you want to do is look back on life regretting the opportunities you did not take. Did I want to give up at times? Absolutely. But, I knew I had goals, and I wanted to crush them.

Take this as your sign to continue the good fight until you fulfill your purpose!