During my childhood I always watched television programs showing how various students graduated high school and progressed to the next phase of their life in a university setting. That fictional student then pursued a career that they loved and found satisfaction in. I desired what I saw. I wanted to know what that lifestyle was like. Growing older and coming to know this process was not a simple one. I gained an understanding of the pressures I was up against in order to pursue a post-secondary degree. The pressures included being a first-generation degree seeking student, having a lack of financial support to help pay for finances associated with attending a university, and being an Afro-Caribbean woman who has to prove to her family that she can be independent and not need the assistance of a male figure to sustain her. I desire to push through these personal barriers and be an achieving example to the communities I am involved in and that anyone from any background can achieve their academic and career goals. Currently I am pursuing an undergraduate degree in Family and Child Sciences (BS) because I want to educate others on how and why one should be a good role model for their children. I want to go to graduate school goal to gain my master’s degree in Public Health (MPH). I hope to be a mental health educator in hopes of being a safe space for individuals, especially children, who face hardships within the minority population.