Since graduating high school, my twenties were spent working one dead end job after another. Eventually, I came across a job that could potentially be my career. I proved to them repeatedly my value as an employee. After a few years, I hadn’t seen a decent raise or promotion so I started thinking about my path and what that would require from me. Most companies won’t offer a better position within the organization without a college degree even if you have the experience.

At this same time, I was also extremely unhappy with my private life and status. I grew up not having anything nice and desired something different for myself and future family. Something had to change.

Since I worked a full-time job, I decided to go to school via an online program. It was the most flexible to my schedule. Don’t let it fool you. Online schooling is very hard. You have to be disciplined enough to complete the assignments on time and you are practically teaching yourself. Between working and going to school, there were a lot of long and stressful nights. I never gave up though.

One of my proudest moments to this date, is finishing college and holding that degree. I was able to finally say that I did it. With my degree and my experience, I am now a shoe-in for various jobs. It’s exciting to see how far I have come and know that there is so much ahead waiting for me.