Graduate School: My How and Why and When?

To understand the how and why and when I decided to pursue my graduate degree, I have to start at the beginning. I've tried to do my best to identify key moments that have brought me to where I am today.

In 2007, I graduated from Brewer High School in White Settlement, Texas. I was the Drum Major of the band, active in community service, worked at Chicken Express, and graduated with honors. I felt like I had the whole world in front of me. 

I got a full scholarship to TCU through the Army ROTC program. The plan was to graduate with my nursing degree and be an Army Nurse for at least 8 years. I come from a military family, so this route checked all the boxes: be the first person in my family to graduate from college, afford this endeavor by getting a full scholarship, and carry on the family tradition of joining the military. 

In what felt like overnight, my entire life I had worked so hard for was ripped from underneath me. During my second year of school, discovered I had been slowly destroying my back during my Army ROTC trainings. So, at the age of 20, I found myself suffering from debilitating back pain. This injury cost me my scholarship, which meant I had to drop out of college.

I stayed in the medical field by working at doctor’s offices, but I was really focused on re-evaluating my life to try and find a new path for myself. During this hiatus, my first nephew was born, and a few days after going home he nearly died. He was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that required a liver transplant at 6-months old. Learning about the complications he will have his whole life due to a suppressed immune system, sparked my interest in science again.

I took the leap to get back on track with my goal of getting my bachelor's degree in biology. I took classes at TCC and UNT, and tried to take advantage of every opportunity available so I could beef up my CV. I felt insecure about returning to school after so long, but I was excited to finally be back at it. 

In December 2017 I finally graduated with my bachelor's degree. I had achieved my goal of being the first person in my family to graduate from college. Soon after, I would move to Australia with my husband, Jeff, for 2 years. I hoped my degree would help me find a good job, but I again found myself limited. I was once again considering higher education.

Jeff and I returned to Texas to be close to family, and for me to pursue a graduate degree. While COVID delayed some things, eventually I found UNT-HSC and really loved that it had programs aligned to my scientific interests, and was close to the loved ones we missed so much. Most days I’m still in disbelief that I’m actually here doing what I set out to do over a decade ago, but I’m beyond proud for getting myself here and never giving up.