I had less than a 3.0 gpa in undergrad, so I thought I’d never get into grad school or have a future in the career I wanted. I failed calculus and received C’s in several of my other classes. In one class, I mixed up midterm dates and wasn’t allowed to take the exam (dropping my grade from an A to a C). I felt like a complete failure. Additionally, I’m from Georgia, and some of my professors and classmates judged me harshly (assuming I was unintelligent or received poor education). What skills would I ever bring to the table? How would I make it?

But despite all of this, I made it into grad school, received an award for my graduate research, and become a lecturer at 27.

Don’t lose hope. Your story isn’t set in stone. It’s not over yet.