A Journey of Perseverance and Clarity: My Path Through Education and Life

Starting college this year after everything I’ve been through has been... a lot 😅. I’ve been juggling homework and assignments, like math 🧮 (ugh), where I recently missed the deadline for a review. The professor locked the review questions online, so yeah, that didn’t help 🙄. I’ve gotten the hang of handling some things, but review questions? Nope. Still, I pushed through because, honestly, what else can you do? It’s funny (but not really) how she made those questions unavailable until the due date. Super frustrating. But hey, I’m over it now.

One of the biggest challenges lately has been managing everything while dealing with my health. From my arms and hands hurting to staying up late finishing assignments, it’s been rough 😩. Like yesterday—I stayed up until 2:36 a.m. to finish a PowerPoint. My hands were done, but somehow, I got it all done too. As crazy as it sounds, I kind of thrive under pressure—just not too much of it, please.

High school me had it all figured out (or so I thought). I was supposed to have my career sorted by my 20s, like society said 🙃. When I didn’t hit that milestone, it haunted me for years. I felt like I was failing, like I was behind everyone else. But honestly? I’ve learned that life doesn’t follow a schedule. Now, I’m in school, pursuing graphic design with a focus on web design and illustration—things I’ve always loved. It’s not that I didn’t know how to make a career out of web design back then—I was just a lost young adult. I wanted to do everything all at once. I was confused and overwhelmed, which left me feeling stuck for a long time.

Here’s the crazy part: I found my old high school yearbook, and in it, I wrote that I wanted to be a veterinarian or a web designer. Now? I’m learning to be a web designer. How’s that for a full-circle moment? 😂

This journey hasn’t been easy, though. I took three years off because of my health, and during that time, I couldn’t work or go to school. I couldn’t do anything—not even dream about the future. Eventually, I applied for student loan forgiveness under a program for people with chronic illnesses, and I got approved. That was such a relief 🥹.

Here’s how it happened: I have a chronic autoimmune disease, and that was enough to get my loans dismissed. I had tried before, but they denied me because I “didn’t fit the expectations of a sick person.” Like, what does a sick person look like to you? 😂 It’s ridiculous. But when Biden got into office, my info was already on file from my first attempt. I had to prove I was sick, so my doctors wrote letters showing I was in poor health.

Funny enough, I got the approval letter while I was in the hospital! I didn’t want to believe it at first because I’d set my expectations so low, but when I logged in, it was real. My loans were gone. The catch? I couldn’t work or attend school for three years—that was the condition of the dismissal. I followed that rule, and now I’m free to focus on school without that weight hanging over me.

Even with everything going on, I can’t help but think of my best friend, Mark, and my teacher, Mrs. Janet. Mark was my rock, my person, and losing him to a drunk driver left a massive void in my heart 💔. We had so many plans—growing old together, being there for each other. Now, I have to carry on without him. Mrs. Janet, my high school teacher, loved both of us so much. I like to think they’re together now, laughing and cracking each other up in heaven. It’s bittersweet, but I know they’re watching over me.

The one class I’m dreading? Public speaking. 😬 It starts in the winter, and it’s just one class, but it’s still part of my required courses. As an introvert, the thought of giving speeches is a nightmare. It’s online, which is at least a little easier, but I still hate the idea. I get that it’s a requirement, but how does this help with graphic design? 😐

Despite all the challenges, I’m really looking forward to next semester. I’ll be taking an illustration class, which I’m so excited about! 🎨 It feels like such a good fit for everything I love about graphic design. Oh, and I managed to schedule my last math 🧮 class online (hallelujah 🙌🏾). Slowly but surely, I’m getting through it.

This journey hasn’t been easy, but I’m finally on the path I always wanted to be on. It’s taken longer than I thought, but I’m here, learning, growing, and doing what I love. I’m excited to see where this all takes me next. 😊