Autoimmune disease has affected my life, education, and future goals for almost 30 years. I went to college straight after high school in 1991 as a pharmacy major. Because of health issues that I did not know at the time were due to autoimmune disease, I left college before graduating with the intent of returning for my degree after getting my health under control. Fortunately, I was able to get a job soon after leaving college at a major telecommunications company. The pay was good and the benefits were even better. Before I knew it, 20 years had passed. Over those 20 years, I often thought about returning to college however, I was making more and had better benefits than a lot of people who had graduated from college. In those 20 years, I would visit a gynecologist, allergist, neurologist, otolaryngologist, opthalmologist, and rheumatologist due to my health issues. My symptoms included weight gain, swollen glands, swollen joints, skin rashes, itching, elevated liver enzyme and fatigue. I would be diagnosed with PCOs, migraines, allergies, edema, lupus, fibromyalgia, and my final diagnosis was unspecified autoimmune disease as it could never be determined which one, I had. In those 20 years, I became complacent. My job gave me financial stability and I was too tired to do anything else. I lost sight of my education and my goal of wanting to work in health care. In 2018, I was laid off due to technical advancements just shy of 21 years with the company. I was devasted. Not only did I lose my livelihood, but I lost my healthcare benefits as well. What was I going to do at 45 years of age? In 2019, I decided to go back to school and major in a healthcare field where I know I wouldn't be laid off. Because it had been so long since I had been in school, I had to retake all of my sciences over again before I could be accepted into any healthcare program. With the severance package I received and part-time work, I was able to pay out of pocket for my classes. Then COVID hit and my savings were depleted. I had to move back home with my parents. Fortunately, I was able to get into the Radiology program at Georgia Southern University. It has been very challenging going back to school as an older student, but I have grown to love my classmates and this new educational and career journey that I am on. I have also finally been given a definitive diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and Sjogren's syndrome. The treatment has been going well and I finally feel like I now have control over my health. After this semester, I will no longer qualify for financial aid. This scholarship will help me pay tuition for my final year of college and finally receive my Bachelor's degree almost 30 years in the making. I plan to get experience in the field of Radiology for approximately 5 years and hopefully return to teach those interested in the field.