Dean's List. High GPA. Enjoying all of my classes. These are some characteristics of my college career at Saint Joe's. Now a college senior, I look back at my education. This fall will see the beginning of my third year at SJC. With this, one could easily calculate that I either transferred in or I took some extra classes every semester. I transferred into SJC in the fall of 2014. Before that, I attended Kennebec Valley Community College—very near to my home—for two years.

I never attended summer school. I am not sure how I did not, exactly. I did not do too well in high school. It was not that I was not able to do well, I just did not feel like doing my homework. I had always been told by all of my teachers that they knew I could do much better than I had done. Those characteristics I listed previously were those that I never thought I could attach to myself. I did not even think about what I was going to do with my life until I applied to SJC.

When I graduated in 2012 from Winslow High School, I did not even bother applying to state schools. The only school I applied to was KVCC, and I was somewhat surprised I was even let in. I am truly thankful they gave me a second chance, as that is what a lot of community colleges do—whether you are a stay-at-home parent who needs a change or a kid who made some mistakes in high school, community colleges are there to get you back on your fragile feet.

I am 22 this month. I am a college senior. I am studying for the GRE to be admitted into graduate school. I am aiming for a doctorate so I can teach English at a college level. My GPA is 3.75. It could be better, of course. Everything can be better and it will. If you are reading this as a classmate or someone who has been successful in school, I congratulate you on making it this far in your journey. If you are reading this as someone who wants to do better, I just want to let you know that you can. I struggled just as you struggle. The only thing standing in the way of you and the future you want is yourself.