Page 100 The Other Wes Moore

 

After I graduated High School, I immediately went to college right after. It was something that I didn’t really want to do but I did it for my mother. After spending two and a half years at William Paterson I decided that I didn’t want to do college anymore, that I would rather work and make money. My mother was so excited about her daughter being a college student that I really had to muster up the courage to tell her. Around this time my mother became ill, and I was struggling with the fact that I had issues with getting home when I needed to. I would be on campus for months at a time before I was able to make my way back home. I didn’t really have any money at the time either. I knew this would crush her spirits, but I had already made the decision. I didn’t know that it would be a decision that I would later regret. Had I stayed I would already have my degree and been working in my field. I see all of my college friends working and excelling, not that I am not but they are further ahead in life. It wasn’t until I came home one weekend that I decided to just tell my mother. She was sad but she knew it was nothing she could do about it because ultimately it was my decision to make. She explained how disappointed she was but still I decided to not return. I remember the ride back to campus to pick up my things, it was a quiet one. That kind of broke me to the core because I never wanted to disappoint my mother, it’s a different type of feeling. On the way back home, we spoke about all the missed opportunities that I would be giving up now that I decided not to go back.  Had I known that I would be paying back loans for I degree that I didn’t receive I would have stayed. My mother really pushed college, that was something that she really wanted for all her children. Here I am once again enrolled at NJCU trying to better myself. This time I have no intentions on dropping out. Once again, she is ecstatic, but I know she’s worried about me. I wonder if she sees that I am dedicated to getting my degree this time. I have one more chance to make things right and I intend to do so. I also want to show my son that he can do or become anything he wants with a little hard work. I don’t think the other Wes Moore felt the way I felt about telling my mother that I would no longer attend William Paterson. He was more so in shock that he would become a father. I draw this conclusion because the author didn’t say anything about him being worried but more so him being in shock that he was going to be a dad.