""Kanye told you college sucks so you should drop out, out but me, I'm just going to finish to make my parents proud, proud." ~ Sammy Adams
I'm a headstrong guy. Hahaha! That's a pretty true statement. I have been in college since 2004 and my parents have always encouraged learning but at one time they wanted me to take on a trade skill instead of being an athletic trainer or go into marketing. I thought that getting an Associate's in Marketing Retail concentrated in Visual Merchandising was a smart move.
I arrived at this degree choice because I have been working in retail off and on since I was 16 years old. I thought it was a good move and I wanted to prove to my parents that I wasn't wasting my time. I love school and I appreciate my professors. I have this mentor Pat West, she always had time for me to just come in and talk about my classes, work, and future goals.
I struggled with school and I had great help from the disability services at CPCC and I didn't really utilize them to my best ability at UNCC. I got really sick at UNCC in 2009 when I went for an Athletic Training degree and had to drop out that Spring 2010. I think I was heading in the wrong direction so I was corrected by getting sick but at a price. I have a pretty big student debt for not have anything to show for it.
In 2011 my financial aid ran out for school and I was stressed out but I appealed and it was reinstated to finish in 2012. I felt so awesome and proud of myself for being able to see my education through. I feel like I could have given up. Education is my key to getting out of poverty and not relying on the government and my Dad for help anymore.
Just because you graduate with a degree of any kind doesn't equal instant employment in that field, unfortunately. I wanted to stay in the retail industry. I like helping customers and I like being creative. So I just worked in retail applying to stores to be a visual merchandiser as I was doing sales. In 2016 I was given a chance through my roommate, which was super awesome and thoughtful, to be a merchandiser at Best Buy. It was a great stepping stone even though it wasn't the best situation sometimes there. I learned that my neuropathy would flair up while using a scanner to do my daily tasks which inhibited my speed. I was sad that I was disappointing the roommate and the team lead of my department. I applied to Belk and I landed it. It was a great day even though I took a small pay cut. I earned a raise there really quick. I worked at Pier 1 for a second time. I loved it there. They were great and very much a big part of my cultivation to get to become a visual merchandiser. Belk was a huge part of getting to become a visual merchandiser too. I learned many things there about merchandising and even visual merchandising by getting hands-on with the visual team. I tried to get on with Belk as a visual merchandiser but was overlooked a couple of times. I felt defeated when I chose to leave Belk and Pier 1. I really felt defeated when I was fired from a warehouse job, which definitely was not for me. I wasn't proud of myself. I ended up at Queen Park Social and I was given great opportunities that helped my resume look really great.
I definitely can say I am persistent, in February 2020 I was given three options for a new employer, I applied to Pottery Barn, Container Store, and Express. I left on shaky terms at Queen Park Social.
but it was for the best. I took the offer from Pottery Barn as a visual merchandiser. It was the proudest day of any first day of my retail career. My dad was so proud of me and it meant the world to me that he was proud of me for seeing it through.
My Dad means the world to me and I just want to show myself and him that I'm not a quitter on my goals and dreams.