Dec. 5, 2014

Any number of obstacles might have led Brittani Morales to throw in the towel on a college education—an unplanned pregnancy, losing the ACE scholarship she had painstakingly pursued, her dismaying placement on the financial-aid suspension list.

But when the going gets tough . . . that’s right: some just seem to find the resolve to persevere. Morales certainly did, and that’s why she will be one of about 300 Amarillo College students to participate in December Commencement exercises Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Amarillo Civic Center.

The traditional graduation ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and will include students who completed degree or certificate requirements either over the summer or this fall.

Morales wrapped up her degree this fall and will be presented with an associate’s degree in biology—get this—on the date of her birth. Yet even though Dec. 13 happens to be her 23^rd birthday, the diploma Morales receives will be anything but a gift.

She enrolled at AC upon graduation from Caprock High School, where she had earned an ACE scholarship to cover college tuition and fees. Dropped classes were her self-inflicted bane, first costing her the scholarship, next sparking revocation of the financial aid package she employed as a safety net.

Discouraged but not derailed, she resolved to personally take on the financial burden of college and was poised for a comeback semester. That’s when she learned she was pregnant.

“I know some people might think becoming a mother gave me the perfect opportunity to quit school,” Morales said, “but I looked at it like ‘now I have to do it.’ That’s when I really got serious.”

Morales sat out one semester to be with her daughter and then reemerged at AC on a mission. She began stockpiling As and Bs, devoting herself to study and extracurricular activities like the Biology Club and Finishers, a student support group for those intent on realizing their dreams of college completion. She even became Finishers president.

She is transferring her biology credentials to West Texas A&M University, where in January she will continue her quest to one day become a pediatrician.

“Getting involved in clubs at AC really helped me stay focused” she said. “They also showed me that there are a lot of people working to overcome obstacles that are bigger than mine.

“I think what makes the biggest difference for college students who are having problems, like me, is when we surround ourselves with people who want us to succeed,” she said. “If you are around people who don’t care, it’s easy to give up.

“My family has been very supportive, and all the friends I made at AC have offered tons of support—even in Finishers, they helped me a lot more than I helped them. If I ever had given up, I’d have felt like I was letting them down, not just myself. As it is, I’m really excited that I’m going to graduate.”

On her birthday.