From 8th Grade to PhD: A Journey of Survival, Strength, and Purpose

There are moments in life that feel almost too surreal to put into words — moments where the weight of your journey crashes into the present and leaves you breathless. Defending my dissertation and earning my PhD is one of those moments.

I started this road with an 8th grade education. I was a teen navigating trauma, survival, and circumstances that didn’t exactly pave the way to higher education. College wasn’t a conversation in my world back then — survival was. And yet, here I am, holding a title I never even dreamed of because dreaming didn’t feel like a luxury I had.

Getting my PhD wasn’t just about earning a degree. It was about reclaiming power — not just mine, but for every survivor who has been told they wouldn’t make it, who has had their voice silenced, who has been underestimated or dismissed. It was about proving that lived experience is not a limitation — it’s a strength. It’s evidence of resilience, grit, and an inner fire that refuses to die.

My research focused on, “how first responders’ responses to sexual assault survivors shape their long-term healing and cooperation in the justice process”. But more than just data and theory, my work is rooted in real people, real pain, and real healing. I didn’t come this far to keep the knowledge to myself.

I plan to use this degree as a tool — not a trophy. My goal is to create space, lift voices, and push for changes that make things better for survivors like me. Whether it’s through training first responders, shaping policy, educating others, or mentoring survivors who want to reclaim their own power, I’m here for all of it.

If you’re reading this and you’re in a dark place, wondering if there’s any light at the end — this is your reminder that healing is not only possible, it’s powerful. You are not broken. You are becoming.

From 8th grade dropout to PhD.

From survivor to scholar.

From silence to strength.

This is only the beginning.