If you would have asked me two years ago where I envisioned myself now, I would have told you that I saw myself as a graduate of Cloud County Community College. In August of 2016, I mapped out my plan of graduating from a community college in the spring of 2018.
But life happens and plans change.
To be honest, I didn’t envision attending a community college. I saw myself moving out and attending a university right after high school graduation. I had ideas, goals and plans for my educational journey.
But here I am, an online student at CCCC.
After my grandfather passed away in 2015, my parents became the guardians of my uncle who has down syndrome. My parents ended up buying out the family farm and we moved to take care of my uncle.
This changed the dynamics of my continued educational plans.
I decided to take online courses through a community college so that I could stay at home and lower the cost of my continued education. My family is important to me, and I didn’t want to increase the financial difficulties or cause another drastic change for my uncle.
I planned to receive my degree in two years then transfer to a university.
With this plan, I could continue my education, help my family as needed and save my money for when I transferred to a university. I was on track to receive my degree...even though it meant I would have to take courses during the summer of 2017.
But God had different plans for me that summer.
My grandmother had three amputation surgeries over the summer with the last being a below-the-knee amputation. Due to a miscalculation, she received pain relievers that caused an overdose.
My grandmother was not in her right state-of-mind during this time.
I was responsible for making sure she was taking the right medications at the right time and not taking more pain relievers than her body could handle.
It was confusing when different doctors were prescribing different medications for different reasons and not communicating with one another.
My grandmother was resilient because of countless prayers and doctors appointments.
My grandmother was released from the hospital just in time to attend my second induction into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
However, I was unable to take summer courses like I had planned. It was hard enough to take courses that fall with her staying at my house.
Instead of overwhelming myself, I’m taking a third year at the community college level.
I’ve accepted that I’m not graduating “on-time” in a traditional sense. Instead, I’ll be graduating on God’s time. It’s like Thomas Rhett says in his song “Life Changes,”
“You make your plans and you hear God laughing.”
I thought I had my continued educational journey planned out perfectly. But my plans have changed twice now. I’ve learned to trust the plans that God has for me.
I’m studying at a two-year college for three years, “and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
