First generation- Bachelor in Biology Man, what a rollercoaster ride this has been! Throughout different times during my early adulthood I’ve asked myself how important this would be to me and to be honest I repeatedly found complacent justifications as to why I didn’t need to finish. However, I’m a firm believer that, in the end, what God has for you is gonna be for you; so here I am. This journey, especially this past year, has been a testimony to the power of prayer and the strength and focus that I constantly prayed for. Lord knows I couldn’t get pass Orgo otherwise😅, despite being my favorite subject. I believe that there are certain paths in life that present a difficulty where only a high level of passion can get you through because only that can lead you to generate the amount of focus and make the type of sacrifices needed to achieve your ultimate goal. I can honestly say that this was one of the toughest journeys I’ve ever gone through in my life, but I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot riding on this which ultimately gave me the push that I needed. I did this for my family. To my wife, who pushed me to go back to school in the first place when I originally thought that getting an Associate’s wasn’t going to be meaningful to my career; I certainly wouldn’t be here without you! This is for my son, who was able to watch this journey and see how prayer, determination, and sacrifice can take you where you want to go; you are next! This is for my mother who can finally see her son graduate with a STEM degree; you’ve always instilled belief and confidence in me even when I thought I proved different. This is for my dad, who is the hardest working man I know; you’ve sacrificed so much during my life to get me here - WE did it! This is for my hood, High Point, that has cultivated the grit and determination within who I am today through all my childhood challenges. This is for little me, who dreamed I’d be a scientist one day! Only with God would this have been possible for me; I’m forever thankful. I pray that You give me the focus and determination to complete my graduate studies at Stevens🙏🏽 Photo credits to @agapemomentsllc thank you so much 🫶🏽