Since the death of my father in 2009, it has been difficult for me to stay on a steady path. I went in and out of school and work as mental health issues kept resurfacing. I failed my first semester at Harper because I stopped attending classes. I withdrew from Harper for a while in order to work and save up money, and to continue working on my mental health, but I got hurt while working and was unable to either work or go to school because I needed surgery from the injury.
After recovering from my surgery, my mental health issues started to resurface worse than they had before. I went into treatment and, as I started to feel better and learn to cope, Harper became a goal of healing and moving on past the mental health issues that had been plaguing me. I returned to Harper in the spring of 2016 and I was terrified. While it did take some time to readjust back into school, I was enjoying my classes and my professors. I know Harper has an excellent academic reputation, but I was still in awe of how knowledgeable the professors were.
The professors I had were driven, personable, and wanted you to learn. I was also enjoying the content of the classes as well. I was able to earn a spot in Phi Theta Kappa and joined the Honors Program during the summer. The fall of 2016 solidified my deep fondness of Harper. The professors were amazing and made me interested in subjects that I am not normally drawn to. I graduated Harper in December of 2016 as an Honors Graduate and with a 4.0 GPA. I thank all of my professors, classmates, and those who advised me in helping me to reach my goal. My time at Harper in the spring, summer, and fall of 2016 made me the happiest I have been in a long time. I want to thank Harper for helping me grow and realize that my mental health issues do not define me. Harper is an amazing school and I am proud to be an alum.
