I started out life a little backward. I began working, had kids and then went to college.

After high school I immediately enlisted into the Air Force. I wanted to travel and start making money right away. When presented with the option of signing up for the Montgomery G.I. Bill in Basic Military Training, I thought, “Sure, it would be cool to maybe take a college course or two one day.” I never imagined that I would come so far.

I was young and had a lot of learning to do. I made mistakes, took some wrong turns and got into trouble. My carefree spirit ended up hurting myself and others. I struggled with my past—the things that I went through in my childhood and demons I swept under the rug that I needed to face, a few times, but every time I failed and hit rock bottom I somehow managed to get back up, I grew stronger. It took years of getting it wrong to figure out what I needed to get it right—me. I needed to stop looking toward others to save myself. I needed to find my own worth and my own confidence.

After marrying a wonderful husband, separating from the Air Force, having two little girls and facing a few trials of our own, I created a goals list.

Goal 1: I was going to go to college and I was going to excel. Thanks to the G.I. Bill, I also had an opportunity for an education that many like me might not. I started pursuing my Associate’s and received my degree in 2012—with honors. The pride I felt and the joy on my husband and children’s faces as I walked across the stage with chords and honor society bling was a feeling I had never felt. It was a moment of accomplishment and feat that was all my own. My confidence was building. But I wasn’t quite there yet. I still needed to grow and I was still a little lost.

Goal 2: I decided to continue my education and pursue my Bachelor’s degree. I worked harder than I ever have before. I learned that we were expecting a third child. I continued classes through the fall semesters, summer, mini-mesters—anything and everything that was offered. I took quizzes and studied in the hospital after giving birth and took online classes when I couldn’t attend physically.

In May of 2016, I graduated with a 3.96 GPA—one B and the title of Summa Cum Laude. Again, I saw my now three little girls beam as their mother took the stage and her second degree. This time, my parents were also in the audience. My father, the best man I’ve ever known, filled with pride as I walked and I tried desperately to hold back my tears. I was the first in my family to receive a college degree and now I had two.

What does education give you? It gives you a chance, a future and hope. It opens your mind to question, reason and explore the world. It makes you a better person. It’s something that is yours alone, that no one can ever take away from you. Most of all, it gave me the confidence that I’ve searched for within myself since I was a little girl. It allowed me to put myself back together. All of the broken pieces are finally mended. The long nights of studying that my little girls and husband helped me through—they got me here. They helped me grow. I’m finally who I want to be.

The Declaration of Independence says that, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Today I began a new job—goal three. It's an incredible opportunity, an amazing position. Education gave me that. I'll never stop setting goals for myself. I'll never stop learning and growing. I will forever be thankful for the G.I. Bill and for the opportunities that I’ve been given. I’ve learned many things but most importantly, I’ve come to learn that in this country anything can be achieved through willpower and hard work—and education is a powerful thing. Education truly can change your life.