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A Different Plan

Ebony Scott
Future Alumni Essay Contest
2018 Runner-up


Life has a way of changing the course of your life without consulting you first. My dreams were always to grow up, go to college, get a job, and live a happy life. My life took a slightly different course forcing me to appreciate the things that were not a part of the "grand idea."

Attending Trident Technical College means so much more than getting a degree for me because for me Trident Technical College is God's plan. When I say God's plan, I mean that I applied and was accepted into the Nursing program twice, but God had other plans for me. My life has never been easy and at times, I sometimes find myself questioning God and his plan for me. I speak to him and ask God, "how is this my life?"

At the age of 20, I gave birth to a son who was later diagnosed with Autism. I buried my older Brother at the age of 26 due to a massive heart attack and buried my Mom at 27 due to multiple illnesses. At 30, I relocated to Charleston where I had no relatives. After being accepted into the Nursing program, I gave birth to a daughter diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease and Vaginal Atresia at the age of 33. These life events were the catapult and driving force behind my desire to become a Nurse. There was no other path for my future because I always wanted to be a Nurse ever since I was a child. I always had a desire to help people and since I've always cared for loved ones, there was no other choice but to become a Nurse. Major events in my life forced me to make some changes and change my life course.

Trident Technical College has been a major factor in my life. For me, Trident Technical College is not just a college, Trident Technical College is an obtainable dream; an obtainable dream that I am able to make fit into my everyday life. Since I was unable to start the Nursing program due to the needs of my children, I re-evaluated my life and looked at the skills that I possessed. I realized that I have always been good with money and had to figure out how to use my talent to make more money and provide a way for my family. I reviewed my transcript and looked at the courses offered by Trident Technical College. I realized that I could obtain an Accounting degree online within two years without having to quit my job since I am the sole provider for my family. The college campus is about ten minutes from my home, making it very accessible and easy to get to when I must take a test. Due to my work schedule and caring for my children, I am able to take classes online and complete my assignments once my children go to bed. When things get challenging, my Advisor seems to know when to check in with me to see if there is anything that she/he can do to assist me. Being a single parent, I am able to afford the tuition for Trident Technical College which lightens my stress level as I work towards a degree in Accounting.

Sometimes you need a village, you just have no idea how your village will look. My Grandmother once said "it takes a village to raise a child." I think that the saying goes beyond that. I feel that it takes a village just to navigate everyday life. Through all my hardships there has been many successes that I feel were meant to happen, I just didn't understand why. Trident Technical College is here within the community to help others obtain dreams that may seem out of reach. I was so determined to be a Nurse and when Nursing was no longer in the cards for me, Trident Technical College was still there offering me an opportunity. Not just an opportunity, but easier plan of action. By attending Trident Technical College, I have learned that anything is possible. I have had moments when I stressed over a test that I was worried about only to find out that I passed the test. My time at Trident Technical College has inspired me to be an inspiration to others. I work with several other single mothers and with my own experiences and the triumphs, I try to inspire them. I explain to them that although my plans changed, Trident Technical College was still able to offer me a chance at a future. With the help of close friends, hard work, determination, and patience, I bought my first home this year. I planned my very first vision board party scheduled for December to inspire young women to outline their future hopes and dreams with a plan of action. A plan of that takes a look at your dreams and allows you to determine the keys to making that dream a reality. I plan on giving my own testimony and inspiring others the way that Trident Technical College and friends have inspired me.

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Comments

  1. Lyna DJanuary 30, 2019 at 3:27 AM

    Amazing story Ebony. I'm proud of you girl. Keep letting God use you. You're an inspiration.

    ReplyDelete

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