I Took Charge of My Own Life, and Went Back To School.

The Dunes at Jockey Ridge, Outer Banks, Credit: James Rosado

I have always been the "smart" one in my family. I was the kid who was consistently on the honor roll; that was until I hit high school. Sometime between 8th and 9th grade, I gave up. I stopped caring about school; it bored me, and I felt it did not matter because we were learning the same sort of information that we had in previous years.

I was able to maintain a B average in most classes without ever studying, without really trying on any of the homework. So, when it came time to select colleges, I did not have the grades or the funds to get into the better schools.

I had many dreams as a teenager, including being a fashion designer, which I thought I would move to NYC and go to the Fashion Institute of Technology AKA FIT. Those dreams were dashed when I realized you had to be an artist before even applying to that school. I applied to a school that was close to the city, but still rural enough for my liking, Marist College in Poughkeepsie. Of course, I did not get in.

I had also applied to the local community college, which pretty much accepts anyone with a diploma. Due to some personal issues, I never graduated and instead spent three years and $10,000 on community college. I decided that college was a waste of time and that I would just try to work my way through life another way.

I did not return to complete my degree for another five years, due to the support of my partner. Following the completion of my associates, I went on to get a bachelor's degree, and then an MBA. I am still enrolled in a university and will have another Master's degree this spring.

The majority of people in my family do not have degrees, (aside from my mother) and instead, they had children in their early 20s. I decided that was not the track for me, and I wanted more out of life. While I waylaid my plans and went back to finish my degrees when I was almost ten years out of high school, it has been for the best. I have found that I enjoy higher education, and will eventually teach some courses, even if I have to create my own.

You do not have to be who people in your town or your family are, or whom they want you to be; you can make your own choices in life. Decide what you want from life, and take charge. You can trudge through that uphill sand dune of life, and get to where you want to be.