A mother and the son she had at 13, who also became a high school dropout, has made history. Both of them later combined resilience and the inspiration they got from the Bible to overcome their odds. Today, the story is different. They graduate together with doctorate degrees on the same day at the
recent Capella University graduation ceremony.
I didn't let my situation define who I was. I defined my situation. I looked at my situation and I told [the] situation this is where we are going and this is what we are doing," said the mother, Vickie.
"Never in a thousand, million, trillion years [did I expect to get my PhD]. The thought of becoming a doctor anyone was far-fetched," said her son, Maurice
McBride
Maurice said when he was 16, he dropped out of high school and started hanging out with bad company. That crowd soon led him into trouble and a juvenile probation facility. It was while he was in the facility that he became connected to the word of God.
"I picked up the Bible and I started reading and I was like it all makes sense. I see how it actually comes to fruition. I see how I ended
up here," he said.
After his epiphany, McBride completed his GED and pursued a music career while attending classes online. He eventually left
the music business, went on to graduate school and became a professor at Paine College.
His mother, Vickie McBride explained that "at the age of 13, I got pregnant with Maurice."
As a young mother and the daughter of a
teacher growing up with her shame in
Waynesboro was difficult. "It [teen pregnancy]
was shunned upon and of course the people
in the community were whispering," she said.
But Vickie McBride persevered with the help of her mother, now retired, and continued her education.
As a teenager I continued my education,"
she explained. She went on to college and
graduate school as well, while raising Maurice and three other children.
"I had to figure out how to work and how to
parent and how to manage school all at the
same time." she said.
The idea of both of them going in for
doctorate degrees came from Maurice. One
day he decided to call his mother and pitched
the idea and she decided to go for it.
"I said 'hey I think I'm gonna get my PhD. You
wanna do this with me?' 'No that's OK. You
bumped your head, but you can go ahead and
you can do it. I'm done with school,'" he
recalled his mother saying.
After a little reasoning, however, they both
settled that they would do it. Vickie graduated
with a doctorate in K-12 education and
Maurice in organizational management.
Source: Christian Post
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