Countdown to Graduation
Sometimes in life, it is the most difficult things we experience that align us with our truest purpose. Those things that shake us up and make us rethink where we are, where we want to be [in life], and how we plan to get there. For me, those arduous experiences have shaped me in ways I never imagined, but they have also made me determined to keep going – no matter what!
In pursuit of academic excellence, I enrolled at Regent University, for my bachelor’s degree in Communications – with a Strategic Communications concentration. Being a determined, single mother and working full-time, I’ve always believed that obtaining my undergraduate degree would be a vital catalyst to enable me to better provide for my daughter and help others like me. At no time did I expect the unexpected rollercoaster ride, courtesy of this thing called life.
After many unexpected twists and turns, here I am... Three classes away from graduation, maxed out on undergraduate financial aid and (outside of praying) not entirely sure of what to do.
I’ve researched payment plans, but at over $1,200 per month, it would surely propel us back into the relentless grips of homelessness. 😩 Fifty $100 bills will help change the trajectory of my life. How do I reach this financial goal? I rejoined the gig economy with Amazon Flex. I’ve even considered signing up for some #ADHD clinical trials — although I’m uncertain of how much they would pay.
The experience of being homeless was unquestionably humiliating and humbling [to me]. Oftentimes, I could not see how we would ever recover. That is an experience that I never wish to revisit.
Coming to terms with my own limitations, I’ve prayed and asked God what to do. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish He would just “handle it,” so I can graduate. I’ve scoured the bottomless pit of Google searches to identify how I can pay for college. I’ve applied to countless need-based scholarships on Niche and other websites and have even considered developing a crowd funding campaign.
Being three courses away from graduating, with over $70,000+ in student loan debt and no financial resources available, has been a gut-wrenching reality that hovers like a looming storm cloud. It has also been a driving force in my quest to obtain my degree.
As an ADHDer, finishing what I started will prove to me that my efforts and hardships have not been in vein. It will also equip me with the confidence necessary to develop and manage community service-focused programs that meet the needs of people experiencing hardships similar to what we have endured. I know I’m not the only one who has gone through trying times, while attempting to achieve a life milestone.
Upon completion of my degree, my plan is to continue serving underserved families, so that they too may rise above their life’s circumstances and soar to their greatest potential.
If I have learned nothing else, I know that through perseverance all things are possible.