Persistence pays off

This is a guest blog from a former student of mine.  It is easy to talk about GRIT but she demonstrated it over a long period of time to help her dreams come true.  As she writes she beat the odds 

Tonight, I’m sitting in my living room writing my final part of my capstone class and listening to my daughter laugh and watch her favorite show on the Disney Channel. Ten years ago, I was sitting in my parents’ living room with a brand-new baby next to me sleeping as I wrote my first introductory college class paper and wondering how long it would take me to graduate. I made a mental promise to not stop until I had the one thing I had dreamed of ever since I could remember- my college degree.                  

 Most people thought that my pregnancy was the end of my education and career. Many people told me that it was “okay” if I didn’t go back to school or if I needed to take a break. Basically, because of my circumstances and statistically, as single teenage mother, I was not meant to be successfully. But giving up was never an option for me. This was not the end of the road, this was a fork in the road to see where I would go next.                  

        So, I drove myself over to the Community College of Baltimore County, baby in my arms, and enrolled in my first classes. I mainly enrolled in online classes each semester, so I could work, raise her, and have flexibility for school work. It was difficult teaching myself many concepts and not having “class time” per say, but it was never a reason to quit. It was also difficult experiencing the infancy years, toddler years, and early childhood years along with school. But this journey full of highs and lows helped to shape the person I am today.                                                                                                                                  

 I learned time management skills, independence, and crucial problem-solving skills that are essential for my career and motherhood today. I left CCBC with an associate degree and eventually I was able to transfer to the University of Baltimore where I will be graduating with my bachelor’s degree on December 17th.           

      When I was 18, I wanted to be a doctor, travel the world, and have no regrets. I am not a doctor and I did not get to travel the world (children and college textbooks are expensive) but I have no regrets. I am a mother, a full-time employee and a college graduate. And here it is- the finish line where I will be clothed in a cap and gown, and I’ve made it. Or should I say “we” made it.                                          

Because let’s be real, this degree it as much my daughter’s as it is mine. That little baby that used to sit on my lap while I read books, wrote papers, worked out math problems, now can understand where determination and persistence will lead you. And she will be able to see it firsthand in less than two weeks. Everyone says she is just like me- stubborn, doesn’t take “no” for an answer, doesn’t want things handed to her, hardworking, and headstrong. And while that scares me sometimes, I know it will serve her greatly on her journeys in life wherever she may go.       

  We have these moments that give you a chance to define your life. Will you sit down and be defeated? Will you stand up and continue your fight? Will you give up or will you persevere? Each failure is a lesson. Each success is a blessing. And when you look back make sure you can say that you kept pushing forward.