It's true. I can relate. I wrote this to a local TEDx College that I'd like to speak for and think my story could potentially help you...
I edited out dates/years & any other potentially identifying information!
I am a graduate of [MYCOLLEGE] as of Fall [Year of Graduation]. Combined with my community college education, I was a 6th-almost-7th year senior.
I had a unique college experience. During what was supposed to the first term of my senior year in Fall [Two Years Prior to Actual Graduation], my younger brother passed away just before finals week started. From there, I gained a unique perspective on what mattered in life. It wasn’t my GPA, or where I saw myself in ten years time. It became all about living in the moment.
I have an unpublished writing piece summarizing his death. However, My growth at [MYCOLLEGE] doesn’t end there. Some time off school and almost two years later, in March [YEAR I GOT SICK], I was diagnosed with a rare pancreatic condition. I failed my last class over [Summer School] A [Year of Graduation] and returned in Fall [Year of Graduation] with a permanent feeding tube in place. I was connected 24/7 to a pump and IV-like pole. Between the vomiting, attending class, studying, and dealing with infections, and handling severe pain, I did not give up on graduating. I had already been robbed of attending the Summer Graduation in June [Year of Graduation]. I wasn’t about to let myself fail.
I got an A that Fall term [Year of Graduation]. It was a massive turnaround from my previous F over summer. My GPA at [MYCOLLEGE] does not accurately reflect the human being I am or my capabilities. Instead, my determination and my experiences at [MYCOLLEGE] are what made me successful. Living in the moment made me successful. Believing in myself made me successful.
When people would ask me what I wanted to do after graduating, my response was, “Enjoy it, I want to enjoy it because I earned my degree!” I notice a lot of students in their Senior Year at [MYCOLLEGE] stress about the next thing. They’re thinking about Graduate School or future employment.
Arguably senior year is the most stressful year at [MYCOLLEGE], but what if you approached it differently? What if you stopped to savor it? What if you slowed it down and recognized your accomplishments? How would that change your outlook on life? What new opportunities would that encourage? What does your degree mean to you?
To me it means mistakes were made, lessons were learned, and happiness after darkness was found.