My journey at Lawson State starts with my dad.
Just after high school graduation, I was feeling defeated because I had messed up a scholarship application to a four-year college, and I thought I wouldn't get to go to college at all. At the time, I had a very rigid view of how college was supposed to go: you pick a major, stick with it for exactly four years, and get a job right after. So, being 17, I thought my life was over.
But then, completely by chance, my dad, an emergency room nurse, ran into art faculty member Chuck Lawson at a local hospital. My dad will talk to anyone, and he and Mr. Lawson struck up a conversation; Mr. Lawson told him about Lawson State's Fine Art program. At the time, neither of us even knew Lawson had one. My dad strongly encouraged me to apply, so I did.
I also applied for the Cougar Capstone Scholarship because I knew I would need financial help and I got it. Later, I became a student ambassador, which has been extremely rewarding. Some of my favorite moments are hanging out with the other ambassadors in the PR House until dark, just joking around and enjoying each other’s company.
After Lawson State, I will be attending the Alabama Center for the Arts at Athens State University. I received the Athenian Excellence Scholarship and will start their Graphic Design program in the spring of 2026.
My biggest takeaway from my time at Lawson State is that things don't always have to follow a rigid pattern. I thought everything had to go exactly according to plan for life to work out. Lawson State showed me that success comes when you allow yourself to be flexible and open to new possibilities.
If it weren't for Lawson State, my dad, Mr. Lawson, and the ambassadors, I'm afraid I might have given up.
