Teen Mom Turned Philosopher: My Memoir, My Life

It took me 12 years to finish my Master's Degree. During that time, I was, frankly, learning a lot, while I was ill. I took a medical leave. My dream, in the land of dreams, The United States, was to become a philosopher. I was angry and sad at everything because I thought that would never happen.

In 2023, I earned my M.A. My specific degree is a terminal degree, but even if it weren't, I'm still considered an expert now, and a philosopher now.

I'm 45. The job market, and the entire process of getting a Ph.D. takes a long time, and is likely more effort to me than it's worth right now (in a cost-benefit analysis). So I probably won't get one, which means I may never be a professor because accreditation requires a certain percentage of faculty to hold a Ph.D.

I never knew I would come this far, and I thank God, who at times has been the only one there for me, that I've done what I've done.

In the United States, I hope people still dream. But not only that, I also hope they can live a dream.

At the University of North Florida, I was a Research Assistant for Dr. Daniel Callcut. I worked on the book "Reading Bernard Williams."

When I got extremely sick, I ripped the title page out, framed it, and looked at it every day. It was a reminder of where I've been, what I was capable of, and what I wanted to do in the future.

Sometimes, you have to have an alternate plan, but that doesn't mean you give up a dream. I publish in other ways. I was on the Editorial Committee of a top journal for a few years even as I was healing.

Sometimes, you have to carve out a path for yourself. Sometimes, you fail. Sometimes, it looks like you'll never get there. My new memoir is my view of my life up until the year 2017, when I penned it.

I asked Dr. Callcut to sign the book to "The. Best. Student. Ever." It was a joke from me to him. Sometimes, levity is good.

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