Attending college was a very important goal of mine while growing up because my parents did not attend college. Being a first-generation college student was very nerve-wracking and stressful at first because I did not know what to expect. However, I felt better about it when I started my freshman year at a community college in my hometown. While in community college, I met many wonderful friends and professors who made a positive impact on my life, and I still keep in touch with them today. I thought that my freshman year of college started off really well until my parents unexpectedly separated and then divorced due to my mother battling long-term drug addiction. This had a severely negative impact on my mental health and my academic performance, and I did not think that I would overcome it.

In the midst of the emotional turmoil that I was experiencing, I received endless support from my grandparents, my three siblings, and my professors, which I was very thankful for. The challenges that I experienced at the beginning of college continued until the ending of my sophomore year when I lost my grandfather, who was a very important person in my life, to lung cancer. After receiving my Associate's degree in Psychology from my community college, I transferred to OU in the fall of my junior year. I truly felt a sense of belonging and acceptance at OU because I met even more supportive and wonderful friends and professors. I was also very happy to reunite with my sisters who attended OU since freshman year while I was at community college. More challenges made their way into my life at the end of my junior year when my mother was facing a possible prison sentence for drug charges. However, she was able to receive treatment for her long-term addiction after my siblings and I had a discussion with her judge about her entering a drug court program.

In this way, I saw a tremendous improvement in my mental health, and my siblings and I were able to rebuild a stronger relationship with our mother after a few years of being distant from her. As a senior in college, I have looked back upon all of the challenges and accomplishments that I experienced during college, and it has made me who I am today. I am very thankful for the gift of education and the long-term positive impact it can have on people's lives. Even though I looked forward to in-person graduation this spring, I am thankful that I have made it this far. Being a first-generation college student to graduate online during a pandemic was definitely unexpected but I have realized that health is very important and we should do all that we can to keep ourselves well along with others. I am hopeful that the future will be bright and healthy once again.