As a member of the U.S. Army, a specific set of core values were instilled in me by which I govern myself accordingly. Integrity is one of those values. Integrity is defined as having the ability to do what is right both legally and morally.
If you are wondering where I am going with this, well, here it is.
I resigned from the student senate on Oct. 29 upon receiving information that I lacked sufficient credit hours required to hold my seat as a junior senator. This is because I anticipated that credits would be accepted but were not. I was just shy of where I needed to be.
Therefore, before anyone could disclose the information and things become misconstrued, I share it with you myself. Integrity.
The reason I share my story with you is because many times at recruitment fairs, they highlight the student who has the high GPA and is the perfect picture of what Florida A&M students ought to be. We have a bad habit of thinking that the rest of the students are not handling business effectively. However, that is not the case.
I am writing to the students who have had, are having or will have a minor setback. It is evident at the university, through our statistics on retention and matriculation to graduation, that at some point, most of us have had a minor setback. As with me, some strived for internships or membership into certain organizations or maybe even sought leadership positions, but then it came to a halt because you had a minor setback.
It could have been your GPA reflecting some of what you have been through, which people did not know. So your GPA was not where they thought it should be, or maybe your credit hours did not match the time that you had physically put in. Judgment is cast on you because it took some time to get money right or, better yet, maybe you needed to get your mind right and did what most people do not, and that is to sit one out. But the best part of all of this is that your story does not have to end at your setback. You are not the only one going through a setback.
In my case, my setback was my lack of credit hours to be a junior senator. But that gap in credit hours was filled with time in service, and now I have my education paid for and life is better for me. What I’m trying to say is do not let anyone discourage you because you had a minor setback.
Speed bumps, if you work to conquer them, set you up for a major comeback. It is OK to have a setback now and then but do not stay back. Move forward because when you do, you may not be where you should be, but oh how you are not where you used to be.
I appeal to all the students at FAMU going through some tough spots. Because your transcripts may not say it was one class that made your GPA this way, I appeal to the students whose transcripts do not read time lost because money had to be gained.
Honestly, let the truth be told. Most of the people you think have everything together are probably a class away from having a minor setback of their own. So never judge people when they fall because you never know how long they were standing.
FAMU student body, I am not finished serving you because this minor setback has put me in line for a major comeback.
Marquise McMiller is a third-year political science student from Gary,Ind. His column runs every Monday.