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Hello Reader,
My name is Aminata Sy. I'm a woman from Senegal, West Africa, who believed I could achieve more and went for it.
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Why I’m Writing about Excelling at Community College
Feeling out of place and dealing with adversities were a constant part of my academic experiences. I’m the author of the memoir Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds, in which I write about how I started out as a high-school dropout and non-English-speaking immigrant and yet went on to earn a high-school equivalency diploma and associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees and to land a career as an American diplomat. All that time, I was a wife and mother too and had plenty of family responsibilities.
If you want to better yourself through learning, you can do it too!
Destined
Book Coming soon!
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Do you know a student who wants to excel at community college and who would benefit from receiving a free blog article in my monthly Newsletter?
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Through my blog, I hope to help U.S. community college students excel in their learning, especially women who are low-income, first-generation college students – that is, learners who are the first in their families to attend college. Why? Because I was a low-income, first-generation college student throughout my academic journey and intimately understand this experience.
I know what it's like to be the first person in one’s family to attend college but have no clue how to start or stay in school.
I know what it's like to return to school as a married woman, a mother, a high-school dropout, and an English learner.
I know what it’s like to live in poverty, whether in Senegal or in America.
I know what it’s like to have big dreams and goals but have no idea how to realize them.
I’ve lived through these experiences. However, getting an education has transformed my life, with community college serving as the foundation of my academic career.
I ended up excelling at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), earning my associate’s degree with highest honors. I know that this kind of academic achievement is possible for you too! I want to share my experiences with you because I had no one in my immigrant community in Philadelphia to guide me through my educational journey, so I understand how overwhelming and lonely this academic journey can feel and be. Hang in there; you can do this.
I wanted knowledge so I could support my children in their education, financial freedom so I and my family could have a decent lifestyle, and the opportunity to see what big dreams and goals I could achieve if I pushed myself.
Think of my blog as an extension of your learning resources as a community college student and a dialogue between one community college student and another who was once in your shoes. I’m sharing with you the tools I applied to excel in my education, so you can excel in yours.
My blog is meant to be an interactive, uplifting, and supportive space where you can share your experiences and your thoughts about the articles published here. I welcome your questions on specific topics related to supporting your learning at community college.
We all have potential for outstanding achievements that make us proud. Are you ready to excel at community college? If yes, you’re in the right place! In this article, I share How to Power Through Feeling out of Place at Community College: 7 Tips.
If you find this article helpful, share it with community college students and invite them to subscribe to my newsletter, in order to be the first to receive newly published articles.
Do you want to know more about how I went from a high-school dropout to a master’s degree? Grab a copy of my memoir Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds, set for release in February 2025. I would appreciate your review of it when it appears on Amazon!
Thank you for reading. Wishing you all the best.
Keep going!
Aminata Sy
Author of Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds
