Determined - 8 Crazy Years
Around this time eight years ago, I was in a rut and miserable. I was never an academic person. I hated to study, read and take tests. I was never athletic, though in high school I did love a rousing game of kick ball. I guess I was the definition of a carefree flower blowing in the wind. Whatever I woke up and thought to do that day is what I did. I didn't like to make too many plans or do anything complicated. I definitely liked a simple life. I had my friends, my family, I lived near the water and I didn't think too much about the future.
When I moved to Baltimore, I had no idea how hard it would be to live on my own. I had no idea that learning this new language while working full time would be so stressful, frustrating, and rewarding. For the first time I was pushing myself to do things I never thought I could. I never thought I would go to college much less graduate. I met some great friends along the way who have made me miss Crisfield less, enjoy class more, learn and grow in the language, and have encouraged me when I didn't think I would finish.
Learning American Sign Language (ASL) and then learning how to interpret is not for the faint of heart. I can't tell you how many times I have cried and stressed over being in the interpreting program or about how I didn't think I could do it. I can't tell you how easy it would have been to just pack up and leave Baltimore and never look back, especially when my nephew died. That was a tough year. I'm still not quite sure how I passed the classes I took because when I think about 2011, I have little to no memory of being in any of the classes.
I always thought I had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get through the semester and I felt I didn't have anything to show for it. I had something to prove. I wanted to finish something I started, no matter how long it took me. I didn't think it would take me 8 years to do it. I overcame every obstacle thrown at me. Life, death, strenuous jobs, crazy apartment problems, severe test anxiety, and navigating Baltimore's 695 Beltway.
Here I am. I am graduating tomorrow from CCBC's Interpreter Program. I didn't think it would happen. I mean I thought it would eventually, but when something is so far in the future it feels unattainable. Tomorrow, I will earn a degree. It feels unreal, like a dream. Wherever life takes me, I know I have the motivation to do it. I know I have the perseverance. I know I have the determination that no matter how long it takes or the obstacles that come my way, I can and will do all that I am capable of doing. Tomorrow is the proof I never gave up, I never quit, and I never let anything, no matter how difficult, prevent me from achieving my goals.
When I moved to Baltimore, I had no idea how hard it would be to live on my own. I had no idea that learning this new language while working full time would be so stressful, frustrating, and rewarding. For the first time I was pushing myself to do things I never thought I could. I never thought I would go to college much less graduate. I met some great friends along the way who have made me miss Crisfield less, enjoy class more, learn and grow in the language, and have encouraged me when I didn't think I would finish.
Learning American Sign Language (ASL) and then learning how to interpret is not for the faint of heart. I can't tell you how many times I have cried and stressed over being in the interpreting program or about how I didn't think I could do it. I can't tell you how easy it would have been to just pack up and leave Baltimore and never look back, especially when my nephew died. That was a tough year. I'm still not quite sure how I passed the classes I took because when I think about 2011, I have little to no memory of being in any of the classes.
I always thought I had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get through the semester and I felt I didn't have anything to show for it. I had something to prove. I wanted to finish something I started, no matter how long it took me. I didn't think it would take me 8 years to do it. I overcame every obstacle thrown at me. Life, death, strenuous jobs, crazy apartment problems, severe test anxiety, and navigating Baltimore's 695 Beltway.
Here I am. I am graduating tomorrow from CCBC's Interpreter Program. I didn't think it would happen. I mean I thought it would eventually, but when something is so far in the future it feels unattainable. Tomorrow, I will earn a degree. It feels unreal, like a dream. Wherever life takes me, I know I have the motivation to do it. I know I have the perseverance. I know I have the determination that no matter how long it takes or the obstacles that come my way, I can and will do all that I am capable of doing. Tomorrow is the proof I never gave up, I never quit, and I never let anything, no matter how difficult, prevent me from achieving my goals.
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