I realized that a lot of people in my family had sacrificed for me to have the opportunity to go to a place like Duke. I owed it to them to finish. I graduated with a 3.6.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I had the opportunity at Duke to start doing things in the community, and it's something I continue to do even 20 years later.
I really owe everything to my parents and their devotion and drive to see to it that their children had the education which led to the opportunities that they never were able to have.
I told my mom I would graduate. I owe that much to her and myself.
My parents sacrificed so much for all of us. It makes me want to give back to them by being the best I can be.
I was the only kid out of six of us to go to college, primarily because my parents could not afford it.
Luckily my parents were not against my ambition, they've always been very supportive. But they were adamant that I went to university first.
When I retired from active duty, I still felt that I owed something to my community. That's why I pursued education... I still miss the classroom and recall those days fondly.
My senior year of high school, I got into UCLA, but my family couldn't afford it.
When I went to college, I went to a junior college. I wanted to go to the University of Alabama but had to go to junior college first to get my GPA up. I did a half-year of junior college, then dropped out and had my daughter. College was always an opportunity to go back. But she, my daughter, was my support. I gave up everything for her.
I pretty much bailed on high school. I mean, I graduated, but I wasn't even there for my own graduation.