My name is Gloria Newman, and I’d like to share a little about my educational journey. This is my second year at EMCC, and I’m excited to say that I will be graduating next year. Reaching a goal I set for myself years ago feels incredibly rewarding, and I’m proud that the finish line is finally within reach. I first began my college journey a few years after graduating from high school. At the time, I was balancing full-time work with part-time classes. As my job responsibilities increased and became more demanding, it became difficult to manage both work and school successfully. Eventually, I made the difficult decision to pause my education and focus on my career. During that time, I continued to grow professionally and earned several promotions. Even though I stepped away from school, I never gave up on my dream of completing the Business degree I had started. I always promised myself that one day I would return and finish what I began. Today, I’m proud to say that I kept that promise, and here I am—closer than ever to achieving my goal. I share my story to say that it is never too late to find the courage to complete a goal you started.