There is no testimony without the test. My testimony and my determination to never give up no matter what it may look like, feel like, or seem like are what make me a non-traditional student. My tests in life were made to stop me but they've only managed to slow me down. I am determined to complete college with my bachelor's degree at the age of 32! I am driven to complete college for the betterment of my future and my future family. Twenty-nine years old and I am still pursuing my education although my faith has been tested. My father (my hero) went to prison when I was 8 years old and was sentenced to life. I lost my best friend. I watched my mother struggle with substance abuse (alcohol) to mask her emotions and numb her pain. My older brother grew up angry with the world because our father made a horrible mistake and we were paying the ultimate emotional price for it. I have lived with over 4 different relatives, in two different states, because of my mother's depression and lack of income to support us all. She did her best and even put herself through nursing school to better our lives as a whole. She is my ultimate "why". My mother always told me "there is always someone else's story bigger than yours" and that little reminder is what keeps me going. The author of my life kept writing and my testimony kept growing. That 8-year-old girl grew up and was sexually assaulted at the age of twenty-three. I was enrolled in school at the time and that took a toll on me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I completed a semester with all A's and thought I could handle the next semester but the PTSD weighed on me too much and I ultimately failed all of my classes except one. That was detrimental to my GPA as well as the financial aid I was receiving. I could no longer afford school and I didn't return to my "normal" outgoing self until a full two years later but "there is always someone else's story bigger than yours". I always knew in the back of my mind that I would return to school and complete my degree. That time is now. The obstacles I've faced in life are what make me a non-traditional student. My pain and my struggles were temporary, and have come and gone, but I'll have my education forever and that is what drives me!