Since I was twelve-years-old, I have wanted to work in the field of law. Although I have changed my mind a few times, I have more or less stayed with my goal. When I was a senior in high school in Kansas, my high school counselors told me that because I had a baby, I should not apply for college. They said that most teenage mothers are not accepted or drop out after the first year, and I let myself believe them. I thought I was not good enough for college, so I did not apply. Instead, I moved with my family to North Carolina and began working full-time.

After a year in the workforce, I realized that I could do more than what I was doing, and my mother convinced me to apply to Lenoir Community College. Contrary to what my counselors told me, I was accepted and have been a student at Lenoir Community College for six semesters now. I can honestly say it has been the best decision of my life. I realized that even though I have a lot of responsibilities in my life, nothing can stop me from achieving my dreams. I cannot say that I have won academic awards because school comes easy to me. The truth is that I work hard every day to get the grades I have. I study more now than I ever did in high school, and it is definitely paying off. I work hard in school because I want to be able to show people who think they are not good enough for college that they can do it as long as they are self-motivated.

I am currently a double-major in psychology and criminal justice and will finish both my degrees in the fall of 2012. I have been attending Lenoir Community College year-round in the hope of gaining back the non-productive year after high school. My goal is to achieve a Ph.D. in psychology and at least a master’s degree in criminal justice. I will someday work in the field of forensic psychology. Lenoir Community College has helped me get as far as I have because of the quality education provided for every student. The tuition is reasonable for students who do not come from wealthy families, and there are dozens of faculty members willing to help each and every student every day. Because of Lenoir Community College, I am finally proud to tell people what I am doing with my life and would recommend this college to anyone.