Niece defied the odds, pursued dream

I would like to introduce you to my niece, Margaret. She is the youngest of three girls. Her mom, Sue, is my hubby’s sister.

I recently read a message from her on social media. It began by saying that after more than 19 years she had finally paid off her student loans. That in itself was worth celebrating. How she got to that point is a lesson in perseverance and courage.

Her high school guidance counselor told her that college wasn’t for her. School was difficult and she always felt that she was behind and could never quite catch up. She left his office “devastated.”

In true Margaret fashion she dried her tears of disappointment and decided to prove him wrong. She applied to her dream school, Xavier, and received a rejection letter. This added to her determination to go to college. With the aid of an excellent teacher and a lot of hard work, she managed to bring her ACT score up to an almost acceptable level. She wrote an essay and attached it to her application to Xavier. This time she was accepted.

In her first semester she made the Dean’s list. She made it again the second semester. This was in addition to working at the admissions office and babysitting to earn money. She took full advantage of the college experience. She was in plays, attended basketball games, went to various clubs and made friends. She also met her future husband there. 

She credits her experiences for enriching her life and making her current life possible. She has held several jobs since college and currently owns her own business. She continues to embody that can-do attitude.

When her oldest was the right age to be in Girl Scouts she looked around for a nearby troupe. She couldn’t find one so she and her best friend started one. On the most recent cookie drive, her daughter sold a record number of cookies. She wants to do it again.

The above story is meant to illustrate that people can and do defy the odds every day. A determined attitude can do wonders. What I am not saying is that because my niece could do it, anybody can. She defied the odds and graduated from college. She has a happy marriage and a beautiful family. She also worked very hard to accomplish this.

The other thing she had in her advantage was her family. Her mom, dad, sisters and assorted aunts, uncles and grandparents all encouraged her. They all believed in her and helped as much as they could.

The whole point of this column is that it is possible to defy the odds. I am not saying that everyone can. There are people who cannot do something no matter how hard they try. For instance, I am incapable of putting air in a car tire.

I know how. But actually doing it is impossible. One day my first husband decided that was silly and that anybody could do it. An entire afternoon and four flat tires later, he gave up on trying to teach me.

The world is a better place because Margaret is in it. I hope that this little story encourages you to try to fulfill your own dreams even if the odds are against you.