I’ve known Nia my entire life. Actually, I’ve known her for her entire life since I’m the older sister. Sisters are a beautiful addition to any woman’s life. Whether they are biological (that’s you Nia!), from a sorority (skee-wee my Sorors!), or friends who will last a lifetime, sisters are the ones that hold us up when we begin to lose faith in ourselves. There’s a saying I’ve seen recently that says “check on your strong friends.” Nia’s story shows why that is so important for the sisterhood. You never know what the actual story may be. I hope that Nia’s story gives you hope during whatever rock and a hard place you find yourself stuck between. Let’s read how Nia is facing her giants:

I’m approaching my fourth year and I still feel stuck. I’m approaching my fourth year of college and I’m still holding onto what seems like imaginary future dreams of being a doctor. This fall I will be a senior at Francis Marion University majoring in biology with a minor in Spanish and I WANT to be a doctor in the future, but right now it academically doesn’t seem realistic.

School wasn’t always my GOLIATH you know. I came in as a freshman with so many plans, eyes on the prize,  and a 3.9 GPA for both fall and spring semester. But then sophomore year came. And when it came, it didn’t come to play. That year really humbled me. In the spring semester of my sophomore year, with God’s help, I managed to pull out a 2.3 GPA. Ya’ll…I had never seen a GPA that low in my life.

That sophomore year marked the beginning of a fear of failure. I feared disappointing my family, my parents, and most of all myself. I had to realize that at that time, my GOLIATH was no longer school…it was me! I was fighting against myself. I began going through a phase of being upset that he gave me such a passion and it was looking like it wasn’t going to go through.

Although I love science, on paper it shows that I’ve struggled in my science classes and have even had to retake some. It shows that I am not graduating on time. It shows that I didn’t meet the requirements of my ACT or SAT to even get in. It shows that the overall school has been challenging for me. With that wrap sheet, it seems like it will be almost impossible to get into medical school. But once I put all of that aside, there are some positives to look at. Even though school is rough for me right now, God has allowed me to begin looking at the collateral beauty of my current situation. Once I began putting my goals aside and stopped stressing myself about reaching them at a certain time, I realized that God has molded me into a persistent and hard-working young woman. I may not have had the opportunity to even meet myself in this way had things been so easy for me.

So finally I say this: despite what your GOLIATH may be, you can choose to see the collateral beauty and have a positive mindset. And with that, you can accomplish anything. As the great Dr. Suess said, “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!”

And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! Dr. Suess

I am still dealing with my GOLIATH as I have three more semesters to finish out. But today, I choose to rewrite my story. And this time, I’ll say it with a little more confidence! This fall I will be a senior at Francis Marion University. I will major in biology with a minor in Spanish. And I WILL be a doctor in the future, despite what it looks like on paper.