A Degree of Magic
A while back I had the honor and pleasure of taking senior graduation portraits for this incredible soul. The first time I met Monifah, known affectionately by most as Mo, and by me as Moana, ;) she was a junior in high school visiting my city for a youth group retreat. From the beginning, Mo has been feisty and funny and loyal and incredibly generous and loving. She hasn't always had things easy, and I would even argue had quite a few setbacks and challenges when it came to beginning her post-secondary education journey. I'll never forget when she needed some help with one of her College freshman English classes and asked me to help her with an essay assignment. We struggled through it together but I could tell from the beginning that she deeply yearned for success, and somewhere deep inside her, even if it wasn't obvious to her at the time, she knew she could do it and there was a beautiful rugged determination in her heart and mind. Fast forward a couple years and she was finishing her associate's degree in our town, then just a couple years later she was graduating from a wonderful University a few hours north. When she asked if I would travel up to take her University graduation portraits, I don't know if I've ever said yes faster.
Beautiful Monifah graduated with a bachelor's degree in social work at the time of these photos, and since then has gone on to pursue her master's degree. She now uses that wonderful education and experience offering counseling services to middle school students. I remember when I first met her, her ideal career was sport management, dreaming of working with pros and surely some high profile athletes for the dreamy celeb career. But after a short time into her educational journey, she learned the deep value of sacrificially helping those in need. There's of course nothing wrong with sport management, but Mo realized she had a different purpose and went after it full speed, full heart.
There's something pretty magical to watching someone realize not only their potential but their purpose, and then seeing them go for it and succeed in it despite opposition. At this point I've seen this incredible gal earn four different degrees, from high school to a master's. I really wish there was some sort of degree in the human heart though, because she'd be graduating that one with all honors, a full scope of experience, and a plethora of stories to go along. I hesitate to say she made it look easy, because anyone who has pursued post-secondary degrees knows that even if there are easy moments, it's no easy feat to finish, but somehow she made it look simple and smooth and I think that's a testament to who she is. Her grit, hard work, determination and belief that she had a purpose in this world came together to ensure nothing would stop her from going after it. When I asked Mo what was the hardest part of earning these degrees, she told me “I always felt like I had imposter syndrome. I felt I didn’t belong in college because I took school seriously when it was too late. I came to college barely knowing how to write a paper. Then going to a clinical school for my masters [when my undergrad] was a policy school so they don’t prepare you for clinical, so when I got to [my master’s program] I felt behind the curve ball again. I had to play what felt like catch up.” Well catch up she did. There is not one doubt in my mind that her life’s experiences and now her education will help the lives of many, particularly children. What a blessing she is to so many, who haven't even met her yet. How’d she do it? “I was able to overcome the challenges and obstacles because [my people] never let me give up. I would be sitting in your kitchen calling myself stupid and you wouldn’t go for that… [then for] grad school another friend would talk me down [and] offer words of encouragement, reminding me that even though I feel like an imposter, the Lord qualified me so I’m not an imposter.”
Her advice to others wanting to pursue higher education and lofty goals?
“I would tell them if they put their mind to it, they can achieve anything. Everyone has to start somewhere. Even when you get knocked down (fail a class, lose financial aid, etc.) get back up and try again. I’ve been there and I got back- up you can too.”
It took a lot for Mo to earn all she has and get to where she is today with these degrees and a meaningful career. It took a degree of tenacity, a degree of strong will, a degree of determined unending grit, a degree of soul searching for purpose, a degree of positive self talk, a degree of leaning on a beautiful community of friends, a degree of growing in faith, and quite honestly in seeing her life unfold; a degree of magic.