Gone is the girl who, for too long, thought she was destined for failure.

In 2009, at the age of 17, I graduated from high school with an Academic Honors Diploma. I had always done well in school, receiving almost all As and Bs. During my senior year, I was excited to be quickly accepted into Ball State University. Since I was a child, I had wanted to be a fashion designer. Ball State not only had two different fashion majors, but it was also one of the most accessible campuses in the country.

As I moved into my room on campus, I realized I was truly about to be on my own. I had the worries all freshmen have of being on their own for the first time, but added to them were the worries of being a physically disabled student on my own. I was worried about being able to do simple things like getting food and carrying my books to class. Figuring these things out was an incredible journey that I wouldn’t change for the world.

I had my ups and downs while at Ball State. I could not make up my mind about a major and switched officially from apparel design, to fashion merchandising, and finally to physics. Apart from not being able to decide on what to do with my life, I also struggled tremendously with depression and other mental health problems. This all eventually lead to me failing courses. I was disqualified in December of 2013 for my low GPA. I reapplied for the following fall semester, attended for another year, and then failed again, causing me to leave and move back home with my family in May of 2015.

A year after failing out of college, I decided to try again. I wanted a fresh start at a school where no one knew me, or knew how badly I had done previously. I wanted to succeed at getting my degree and get back the independence I had grown so accustomed to. On a slight whim, I applied to Southern New Hampshire University. Less than a month later I was taking my first online course.

Eight months later, I am now finishing up my fourth term through SNHU. I am studying psychology, with a concentration in forensic psychology, and I love it. I absolutely believe I made the right choice in starting over. For the first time in a long time, I am not only doing well in my classes, but I love them. I look forward to the reading assignments in my forensic psychology class, so much so, that I recently bought a physical copy of the book to have and read even after the class ends next week.

For the longest time, I was ashamed when people would ask, “What are you doing now?” I hated answering that I was still in school. I am now 25 and won’t graduate until I am 28, but I am no longer afraid of people asking that question. I am proud to be a student. By not giving up and trying again, I have been able to accomplish so much in a short time. I currently have a 4.0 GPA, I am an officer in two clubs, I am an active member in a third club, I write for Odyssey, and recently became a Contributing Editor in charge of one of the mini teams. I have applied to be a Peer Tutor and a Peer Leader for SNHU’s online platform SNHUconnect, and I was recently invited to be a part of the National Society of Leadership and Success.

I have proved that I can do this to no one more than myself. I am happy and proud of my accomplishments. This article is for those who are in similar positions, the nontraditional students. The fact that you are getting your degree is far more important than the age at which you are getting it. To those who are doubting themselves, I hope this serves as some inspiration, or hope, that it is possible to turn your situation around and succeed. It may have taken a while to find this path, but the point is: I found it and you can too.