I started my journey at SWU in 2016. My goal was to further my education with a Master's in Management and Leadership so I could have more opportunities in the future. I have a background as a laboratory technician and I have a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in healthcare management. I am a full-time working mother of twins. I knew that an online program was the best option for me because it offered the flexibility I needed. When I started the program, I was very overwhelmed because I worked full time and had two toddlers. Quite honestly, I had mom guilt but at the same time I wanted to better myself for them. I was determined to do as well as I could because if I was making the sacrifice of given up time during the twins’ early years, I wanted to give it my best.
It truly has been a journey for me. Six months after I started the online program, my son was diagnosed with a brain cyst and he needed to have brain surgery. I was scared. Devastated. I had just finished my first two classes in the MSML program. I thought about quitting and giving up on obtaining my masters at that time because I was very concerned about my boy, but my family and my husband encouraged me to keep going. I decided to just take a break from school to concentrate on my son’s recovery and SWU worked with me until I was ready. Since then, we have been through 4 brain surgeries (three for my little boy and one for my little girl). We stay very busy because we have multiple therapies every week.
I’m sharing my journey at SWU because I would like to encourage other students to pursue their goals and dreams. Everything is possible with God’s guidance and help. I could not have gone through this journey without God’s help and strength. Every class offers a Christian environment, and most of the posts and bible verses helped me to reflect on what I was going through and how I could become a servant leader!
Life can bring us challenging situations at times, but God gives us hope and strength to keep going. Many times, God gives us trials and hardships not so we can suffer, but to help us be stronger so we can do His will on earth. He chooses people to deal with certain circumstances so we can be an encouragement to others, and we are able to say “I have been there! I know your pain and sufferings! I know from my personal experience what you are going through! But know that I made it. THIS is how I made it. Let me give you some advice and encouragement so you won’t give up!”
Many times, God gives us trials and hardships not so we can suffer, but to help us be stronger so we can do His will on earth.
If you are ever at a point where you want to give up, I encourage you to pray and not to be bitter towards the situation or towards God. I encourage you to reflect on God’s word. Whenever I have felt like giving up, I read this Bible verse to help me focus again and continue on:
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.”
II Corinthians 4:16
Another important thing that I have learned through my life journey is that God never leaves us alone! When we feel down, like things are out of control, that no one is with us or can understand us or help us, He is right there besides us giving us His hand and love and showing us the way. He is the only one who will truly never turn His back on us! Jesus himself suffered a lot and there are certain things that we can only learn only through suffering. When you feel overwhelmed there is a quote that I love to keep me focus on living one day at a time:
“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”
-Lao Tzu
When life seems overwhelming, take a deep breath and take one day at a time.
