About ten years after getting my GED from Piedmont Community College, the opportunity arose for me to finally begin my college education. I always knew I wanted to get a degree, but things just never worked out. When I first started my college career I thought the only thing that mattered was getting that piece of paper. I was wrong. I couldn’t just skim along, I had to take pride in my work and have confidence in myself.

I learned to appreciate the instructors who pushed me. They helped me find that confidence. I learned that asking for help could pay off, especially when red-ox reactions (that’s a chemical thing) were involved. I learned that I had plenty of support from my friends and family. And I learned after all these years that I’ve always had a secret love for science and learning. So now, as a 27-year-old single parent, I can see the finish line.

At the end, my Associate degree in Biotechnology awaits. Oscar Wilde once said “Success is a science; with the right conditions, you get the result.” Thank you to my instructors, my fellow students, and my friends and family for providing me with the right conditions to make it here, to my desired result.