My Children Will See Me Walk
By Chandra
Student, South Mountain Community College
My name is Chandra. I graduated from high school in 1998. I went straight to college but became discouraged after just 3 weeks of full-time school and part-time working. So, I decided to leave school and work full time. I never thought I would make it back to college, but in 2016 (18 years later with 3 children), I was blessed to be able to go back. Here I am now, 4 years later with one online class and only three in-person classes left that would start one after the other (Small Business Entrepreneurship Certificate Program), and then it is time to graduate.
I have been so excited and telling everyone about graduation, wondering how I would get a ticket for them all to come. The thing about it is that I never thought I would actually see this day. I will be the first college graduate in my family. This has been a hard journey and I’ve been working hard to keep my 3.8 GPA. I just wanted my children, more than anyone else, to see me walking down the aisle in my cap and gown. But things don’t always go the way you plan, and obstacles present themselves.
March 11th was supposed to be the day that one of my final three classes started. That class ended up being cancelled. Next thing I know, my last two classes were cancelled as well. I thought that things would blow over; that we would get back on schedule. Then, on March 26th, 2020, I learned that the commencement ceremony (graduation) was now cancelled due to COVID19 (Corona Virus). That was one of the worst moments I’ve had this year. I understand that it may seem a little too dramatic to feel that way, but I have been awaiting this moment since I was a young girl and even more so since having my children. So, hearing this information was really disturbing for me. I don’t know what lies ahead. However, I told my sister that if I had to later, I would have my family meet at her house to walk down her hallway. She can present me with my diploma, and I will give a speech. One way or another my children will see me walk.
On March 31st, 2020, I learned that my church would be shut down due to this 30-day quarantine, until further notice. I understand the reasoning, but I don’t believe that the church should ever be shut down. NEVER!!! What people don’t seem to understand is that I feel like I need to be at the church because it is where I draw strength from every week to handle what I must go through for that week. And as I wrote that very sentence, I realized that being at the church isn’t the main place strength comes from. God is the One who gives us strength. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). It’s funny how God will give you a scripture that corrects you, right after you type something. Sometimes your feelings can get in the way of what is true. I guess I needed to be reminded that God is everything we need. One thing I can say is that I am not afraid of this virus because I know that God has me covered. He is my protector and my healer. I trust Him and He NEVER fails.
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