I moved from bartender to bachelor’s degree

Dear Pastor,

In life, some stories are written not in comfort, but in courage; not in ease, but in endurance.

Such is my remarkable journey. I will be graduating from the Bethlehem Moravian College through the Joint Board of Teacher Association/University of the West Indies on November 2 with first-class honours after completing a Bachelor of Education degree in Secondary History and Social Studies. This achievement seemed like a distant dream just a few years ago. For I was one who grew up in poverty, with no family member to assist as a guarantor for the student loans, though I left high school with eight subjects.

Long before donning a cap and gown, I stood behind a bar counter, working tirelessly as a bartender. The nights were long, the work demanding, but it was a means to survive and support the future that, at the time, felt uncertain. With grit and determination, what began as a job turned into ownership of my own bar. I became a bartender in 2020 after returning to Jamaica. I spent one year in ICE custody, detained in the USA, fighting a case. I was there to work under the table to try to fund my own education, but met up on persons who assaulted me. I won my case after representing myself, and I voluntarily departed the country thereafter - returning to Jamaica in November 2019 on a one-way flight, with no skill, no job and dealing with COVID a few months later. I had to make ends meet. I started working in bars, and six month later I opened my own.

Still, the journey wasn't easy. When the weight of bills and responsibilities pressed down, I turned to small-scale farming, tilling the soil, planting seeds, and hoping the earth would return enough to make ends meet. It was a life of sacrifice, balancing multiple hustles, never giving up, and always holding onto the quiet belief that tomorrow could be brighter. Somewhere in those challenging days, a deeper calling began to stir; the desire to return to school, to pursue an education that once felt out of reach. With boldness, I walked back into the classroom, this time carrying not just books, but the lessons of life itself. The transition wasn't easy, early mornings in lectures, late nights studying, all while carrying the memory of every struggle that led to this moment. Yet, determination prevailed. Semester after semester I excelled, proving I had not only intelligence, but an unshakable willpower.

Now, standing tall as a graduate with first-class honours and a near-perfect GPA, I am a living testimony that one's past does not define one's future. The bartender who poured drinks and endured the demeaning comments of society, the memory of being behind bars, the farmer who planted seeds, and the hustler who fought to survive, is now the scholar who shines with pride and achievement. Education has changed my life; I am proof that no matter where you start, you can rewrite your story with persistence, faith, and hard work. I am currently a teacher at the Manchester High School.

My story is more than personal triumph, it is an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt that life's hardships were too great to overcome. It is a reminder that struggles can shape strength, and that no dream is too far for those willing to sacrifice, to fight, and to rise again. From behind the bar counter to the graduation stage, I am proof that success is not just about where you start, but about the courage it takes to start again.

S.W.

Dear S.W.,

Congratulations. Your story should encourage others to work hard. God bless you. I wish you well.

Pastor