Its your Graduation!

Dear FutureMe, Wow, Wow, Wow. Where do I even begin to start. As I type this I am on the verge of tears because I am so proud of you. Not only for this big accomplishment but for the person you have become along the way! You handled everything life threw at you with such grace and humbleness, you never let anyone or anything get in the way of your goals. It’s been a rocky past year and all I can say is WE MADE IT! We didn’t let any of the trials break us, we walked through everything with our head held high and made it out every time. You are an amazing young woman and even though no one ever says it I’ll be the one to say I am so proud of us man! Through everything YOU NEVER STOPPED and that’s truly amazing. Not a lot of people can go through what we did and still wake up every morning and chase their dreams. That is exactly why I know we are destined for greatness, God doesn’t give big dreams and big hearts to people who can’t live up to it, and so with that being said keep pushing! You believed in yourself every single time, when things got hard you sat back and reflected with God on it before you enacted on anything and that is something I am so proud of. You have learned to put your emotions on the back burner and trust and believe in him for everything instead of stressing, worrying or doubting. I am so undeniably proud of this new chapter and I just want to thank YOU, all of the late nights in the library, all of the tears shed, the notes taken, the hard times, the questioning if all of this is even worth it.... and look at you now YOU MADE IT!! and I can honestly say there was never an HONEST doubt in my mind that you would finish. That is something I truly admire about you, once your mind is set on doing something there is no stopping you until it is finished, I don't know if that's the competitiveness in you or the "I don't want anyone to look down upon me" in you but whatever it is, it's admirable. Man I know dad is so proud right now!! and although he may not be able to be the loudest one in the stands today, just know it is the biggest celebration in Heaven today, because in his words today "his baby is a doctor yall" lol. As much as I would love to have him here with me today, I find comfort in knowing that one of the last things I told him was "I'm going to make you proud" and of course his response was "no pumpkin, make yourself proud" and as of December 12, 2025 I can from the bottom of my heart say I have accomplished both of our wishes. But this isn't the end, there is so much left in this life for me to grasp hold of and make mine, and I plan on doing that! This degree is not only for me but for my family. The first person in my ENTIRE family to graduate from a four year university TOP of my class with honors at the age of 22! I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next chapter of my life, I know it will be nothing but greatness. And although I just received my Bachelors degree, my education will not stop here. I plan on getting my Masters degree and furthering my knowledge in Public Health, So let's talk a little bit about what this degree means to me and why I chose it. For starters this world is so cruel and over the past 4 years learning the true depths of how unequal our healthcare system is has really pushed me to want better not only for me and my community but for everyone around the world, and if I can be an advocate for just one person in this world, I can say i've made a change. It may not mean a lot to others but sitting in those doctors offices, those hospital rooms for months at at time with my dad motivated me. It showed me how having just ONE good doctor or ONE good nurse can make the ultimate impact on a person's well being and that pushed me to want to be that for other people. If we are being completely honest sitting in those rooms hearing doctors tell you 100 different words that you have no idea what they mean, is very infuriating, overwhelming, and each and every time they come in with a different diagnosis it feels like a punch in the gut, you get no explanation, you are trying to write down the words you THINK you are hearing, all to do a google search and get back the results that "you are dying" and then you try and speak to your doctor to get clarification and they are nowhere to be found.... THAT is the world we live in! and that is not how it is supposed to be, I can attest that I have taken countless courses that teach medical professionals or people who hold degrees that are supposed to be for "the people" how to communicate with people in the communities we are helping, and it all boils down to medical professionals wanting to feel entitled. They use these languages to make you feel inferior, to make you feel small. And this is not okay, this is why, I am going in to this field, not because "i want to make the big bucks" yes that is a plus, but my WHY is much more than that, because I know my purpose is much more than that. I know I was placed on this earth to make a change and so this degree is more than a paper to me. Tons of people have tried and downplay what I was doing because it is just so far fetched to them that someone can have the mental capacity to expand their knowledge past the bare minimum, that someone would willingly "want to learn" I've been told me that I can just "get a job" and that "college is a scam", and im " doing all this work just for a piece of "paper" and to all of those people thinking that, I just want you to know that this "paper" that people may try and downgrade is worth well over $120,000 for 1 and for 2 this paper is all of my hard work, dedication and mental sacrifice and 3 in the most humble way possible, this "paper" will get me into so many rooms that I can only dream about. But not only will I be able to be in those rooms because, hey, anyone can walk into a room, but when I walk into those rooms I will be able to be a voice, a voice that will be heard and respected, and lastly this so called "paper" is my calling, the dream that God put in my heart and I ran after like no other. So yes I am proud of myself, and I am proud of all of the things to come. So to myself, I want you to Celebrate like no other, brag on yourself like there is no tomorrow but don't forget the work doesn't stop here! This is where it begins. With love and gratitude- Madison Green 8/6/2025