It took me 8 years to get a 4-year degree. Here’s what I learned
It was June 2006, and I was ready to graduate from Baruch College. However, I had actually started college (College of Aeronautics) in 1999 while doing the US Air Force ROTC. My dream was to be a fighter pilot. Unfortunately, I had to drop out and take on two jobs to help my parents make ends meet.
On the day I graduated, I felt a mix of shame and pride, but most importantly, I was grateful for three things I learned that have stuck with me ever since.
🏁It's not about when you start the race, it's how you finish it." The older you are and the more experiences you've had, the more clear it becomes what you need to do and what you don't. Don't be afraid to be a late bloomer. Sometimes, to finish faster, you have to start later.
⏳Not everything happens when you think it needs to happen. There's a Dominican saying "uno propone, pero Dios dispone", (you set plans, but God decides). I hated having to drop out of school and put my dreams on hiatus, but sometimes you have to learn to wait months or years for your shot.
🧱The obstacle is the way - Having to drop out of college and not come back for four years seemed like a setback at the time, but in hindsight, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. There's no way I could’ve wound up as a tech founder had I gone the air force route. The obstacle (dropping out) had to happen for me to ultimately find the way to success.
