The pursuit of higher education is different for each person – with so many barriers that stand in the way of graduation for many marginalized groups. A man was able to surpass all chances of his upbringing and is now celebrating his doctorate.
As a child, Dr. Tommie Mabry expelled from 10 different schools before entering high school. In December 2019 he celebrated a major milestone and finally received his doctorate. after a difficult journey of his education.
“My mother and father [have] All of my books in their house, they’re proud, and they’ve got all of my degrees. If God says the same, hopefully they will be with me on my PhD. Graduated in December, “Mabry said because of” because of them we can “. “My mother said she didn’t think I would make it and now [I’m] the only doctor she knows. “
Mabry credits basketball because it gives him direction and gives him more opportunities for a better life that leads him to graduate from college. “I’m starting to play basketball and Tupac’s attorney Chokwe Lumumba took me out on the street and introduced me to AAU basketball. I credit AAU for saving my life, ”said Mabry.
“When I was out with him, I got to see other ball players from other states who were dreaming big… They told me they wanted to go to Duke and play for North Carolina. I said wait a minute, you dream differently. I started to think I could do it. “
Today, Mabry is also a writer and offers professional development workshops to help others pursue their goals on their own journeys. Mabry says it is important to instill the value of an education in youth early on and teach them the necessary skills at an early age. “We punish our children for the ignorance we’ve shown them. Our children lack knowledge and thinking skills. Argumentation skills are taking in and applying information; You shouldn’t be learning thinking skills if they hit that hammer and point you in the right direction, ”added Mabry.
“Many of our children are imprisoned because of the ignorant principles we have shown them. Check out where they are and who is around them. Sure, doctors and lawyers may come from your neighborhood, but they never stay if they can. Children learn from observational learning, not because you told them to. They learn from models and what we show them is ignorance. If you want children to value life, you have to give them life. “
Comments are closed.