August 2008 my high school principal called me into his office. I was going into tenth grade(I was a year behind bc of moving so much). I finished 9th grade with a 4.0, even though I missed 90 days of school that year from being sick. He sat mom and I down and told us he wanted to give me a test. I took it, and I scored 12.9 (12th grade 9 month AKA graduating senior). He called us back in and told me I didn’t need to go back to school, I could just go to GED classes and take the GED when I turned 17 in January then go on to college. So I went to the GED center the next day. They gave me a ton of tests. The head of the GED department called me into his office. He said that I scored so high there was nothing they could do for me as far as classes, that I was more than ready to take the GED. He then called the HEAD of the MS GED department and told him about me. I got the special approval to take my GED a month before I turned 17. I was the youngest person in MS to ever take the GED. When I got my GED, most of my family said I would never go to college let along finish (especially when I got pregnant). I was the first of my siblings to ever go to college let along graduate. One of my cousins told me I would never get anywhere with a GED because people frowned upon them and it was like dropping out basically.
I started college 2 weeks before my 17th birthday January 5, 2009. My whole family lived in McComb, and I moved to Ellisville to attend Jones. I knew no-one in a 90-mile range, and I lived in a dorm, worked full time as a dorm RA, on top of being enrolled in 18 credits fresh out of the 9th grade. I had some amazing “suities” (Caroline, Jill, Lauren and Leah) who looked out for me daily because I was the dorm baby. I took the ACT the next month, with having only ever had algebra 1 and honors English 1. I made a 23 my first time taking the test. I worked night shift at the dorms, went to class from 8-1, then came back to the dorms and studied. While most 17 years old were going to prom, homecoming, having fun, I was in college.
February 5, 2009, I got a message from a sweet guy. He wrote a book about himself telling me things. I had a bad experience on the dating site in the past, so I ignored it for a day or two. I went back to close my account and figured I would at least give him a chance. (Spoiler alert, he’s my husband now.) I moved out of the dorms in March to Hattiesburg in a house with Sara, Jill, and Karalee. I drove 30 miles to class every day.
May 4, 2009 my life changed forever. I went in for a simple sinus surgery, but the anesthesia doctor came in and said we can’t do your surgery. I said why not? He said because you are pregnant. I was shocked. My mind immediately went to school. HOW was I going to do this? I finished the first semester of college with a 3.5 GPA, but I wasn’t able to go anymore because of pregnancy complications. I did not return to college until 2013, 4 years later. I was raising a special needs child all while going to college in class Monday through Friday.
FINALLY, in 2017 4 years later I got my associates degree with honors. And now 2 years later in 2019 I am receiving my bachelor’s degree. Not only receiving it, but with honors on my transcript.
I have gone to 4 different colleges since 2013. Had to change programs 3 times because one school didn’t offer what the other did, and most of the classes didn’t transfer. Finally, we settled in Pensacola and I started PSC in 2015.
I have written papers on the road to UAB, I have taken finals from hospital beds. I took a midterm 2 days after having brain surgery. Took a final in pre-term labor with Aubree. I just got done writing a 4-page APA style paper after a month of being in and out of the hospital and coughing up a storm.
Basically, I say all of this to make a point. No matter what life throws at you, no matter how long you are out of school, you can go back. You can finish. No matter if no-one in your family has went to college. No matter if you have health issues. No matter if you have kids, move around a lot, or just scared you aren’t smart enough. You can do it.
“Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game”
ThisRareMama 