By Alicia Morrison
My name is Alicia Morrison, and I’m a 28 year old single mother of a 3 year old little girl named JaKayla.
I was raised in Bingham, SC by my late grandmother Marie Morrison, who instilled in me the importance of education and to put God first. She would tell me and my other 4 siblings to strive for the sky, but that we could go beyond the sky. I graduated from Latta High School in 2004.
I went off to college to South Carolina State University in 2005 and stayed there until 2007. I came back home due to some unfortunate events that happened.
My grandmother passed away in 2008, and I vowed in my heart and mind that I would make her proud and finish what I started in college, because I knew that’s what she wanted for me.
In 2010, I found out I was expecting my first child and at this time I wasn’t in school, but I was writing my first memoir about my life story called Lies, Love, and Life: Taking Back What the Devil Thought He Stole from Me; My Story! I knew that I wanted to finish my bachelor’s degree as well. So, I enrolled to an online school: Capella University. After giving birth to my daughter I stopped with this online school to bond with my daughter, but I did end up publishing my book and I later switched my online schools to Ashford University, which is now my Alma Mater. February 24, 2014 is a day that I will never forget.
It’s the day that I graduated finally with my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Management. Some may say why would I want this published?  I would tell them because all my life I’ve felt like I had to prove something to the world, but when I received my undergraduate degree, I was proving to myself that I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
It’s been a long time coming with completing this degree, but I persevered. I kept God first and I didn’t give up. As my Godmother would say to me, “Alicia, you are delayed, but not denied!”
Whereas it normally take 4 years to finish up with a bachelor’s degree, but it took me almost 9 years on and off to finish. I could have stayed on at SC State and finished my degree there, but obstacles came and life happened in between that caused me to get delayed.
I’m reminded of my favorite quote:
“For the race isn’t given to the swift, neither is it given to the strong, but to the one who endureth until the end.”
I may seem delayed, but I ws never denied.
I just wanted to encourage others to stay focused, keep God first, and believe in yourself when no one else does, and you can go beyond the sky.
Don’t give up no matter how long it takes you to achieve your goals and to make your dreams a reality!