The End of a Road, the Beginning of a Journey

So, here it is. The final blog post of my Master's program at Full Sail University. Since we're here, things are about to get real.

Even before I got out of the military, I've studied at Full Sail. First, I got my BS in Graphic Design, graduating Valedictorian with the Advanced Achievement Award and four Course Director Awards. Now, here I am, two days from graduating with my MS in Digital Marketing, with a perfect 4.0 and at least two Course Director Awards. During that timeframe, I've retired from the military, moved cross country, had a house fire, lived out of a hotel, had multiple family crises, and have struggled with my own severe disabilities from my time in the Army.

So what's the point of all this?

Nothing has stopped me yet. Nothing is going to. I won't sit and say that I'm the smartest in the room, or even the hardest working. I won't fill anyone's brains with nonsense that somehow I achieved some impossible result. Far from it. What I do stand as is a testament of what happens when you just refuse to give up.

I was born into drug addiction, survived abuse, homelessness, suicidal episodes, and being alone. At 16, I tol my step dad that if he gave me ten dollars in gas money, I'd never look back. He did, and I haven't.

This isn't some sort of feel sorry for me parade, quite the opposite. This is a case study in being better, doing better, and achieving better. This is a lesson in breaking generational curses and teaching my children that your situation, your surroundings, and even your health don't define you. You just have to wake up every day willing to invest every moment in doing better than you did yesterday. That's it, that's the secret.

Why am I saying all this, and what does it have to do with my future in digital marketing? Simply, that I've come too far to stop now. Along this road, I've created proprietary systems that target struggling industries that have been historically behing the curve in adopting technology. My entire career goal is to put in the hard work to modernize entire indutries, such as radio broadcasting. I welcome the challenge and hard work, because its all I've ever known. I didn't work this hard to start taking it easily. If anything, my work ethic has only gotten stronger.

I don't say that to brag, I say it as a testament to how strongly I believe in Full Sail and the education they provide. I've seen reviews talking about how much people dislike their model, but its entirely up to the student, if we're being completely real. Not everyone can handle 16 weeks of class in 4 weeks. Not everyone is a self starter and willing to put in the legwork themselves. I get that. However, I also got the same information and was able to revolutionize my life with it. You get what you put in, and ultimately, that's been my experience with Full Sail. I shared the same with my academic advisor while completing my final interview. I'm looking forward to utilizing this knowledge that I've gained and doing amazing things with it.

Its been challenging, its been tiring, and its the hardest thing I've ever done. Seeing where I am now as a professional though, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. I said before I ever set eyes on a Full Sail classroom, and I'll say it again: I will be in Full Sail's Hall of Fame someday. So, if you were to ask me what my future holds?

I don't know 100%, but I know it won't be easy. That's why I'm looking forward to it.