I am determined! I am determined! I-AM-DETERMINED

I remember chanting this on a couple of occasions especially over the last five years.  Let me tell you I was determined to do a lot of things.  Now, this can go both ways you know.  I was determined to graduate, and I was determined to NOT let anyone stop me from doing so.  See, what I did there?  I told you about what it took to graduate with my professional degree.  Oh, you want details.  I got you!

I was given a 2nd chance to finish.  If I haven’t told you how I had to fight my way back into my graduate program that’s another post, for another day chile.  This one is about my last year of school, well really last semester.  Here, I was my last semester, registering for classes, and missing one requirement.  I remember calling one of my friends and asking, “girl did you take a foreign language in college?”  She was an Engineering major and it wasn’t a requirement for them.

I was working in the library, teleconference production studio, a practicum, and two other classes.  YOU TELLING ME I HAVE TO THROW SOMETHING ELSE IN THE MIX?  So, I said I MUST graduate, I’m willing to do whatever.  I registered for a German class at the local community college, and a Spanish class on campus.  I was more pissed about not being able to take an American Sign Language class.  I said I was determined right?  Even if it was CRAZY.  I’m gone tell you I dropped that Spanish class and lost the money that I paid for it.  I got over it.  The German class was accelerated and met Monday – Thursday for five weeks and the second class was another five weeks.  So, basically I was attempting to learn level one and two of German in one semester.

I was constantly tired, but I was determined.  Determined to finish, and finish STRONG.  Then, I was at work one evening and someone suggested I take the foreign language exam.  I mean I knew the basics of German, but not enough to take an exam.  I put the fear aside and decided to sign up for the exam.  If I could pass the exam, I wouldn’t have to take the second level of the German class and I could sail through the rest of my final semester.  I took the exam on a Saturday morning and waited.

My sister called me on a Tuesday evening and said, “we need to call mom and we all fast tomorrow, we need those results for the exam.”  The second level of the German class had begun and I didn’t have my results.  I was nervous, paid for the class, and attended the first 3 classes.  I was more cautious instead of exercising a little faith.  Well, the Wednesday afternoon of my fast I received an email.  An email that I had PASSED THE EXAM!  I emailed my German professor that I would not be returning for the class and I appreciated all of her help, and immediately went online to drop the class so I could get 75% of the money that I paid for the class.

Again, I was determined.  I went into the Dean’s office in August and stated to her that I was determined to be done by the following May.  She said it was possible but I had to work hard.  I did whatever I had to do to finish.  I am #SteeleThankful for that determination that brought me through my last year of school, because that same determination keeps me pushing towards my dreams.