I started my journey to my doctorate in the year 1974, it was the one thing that my father who had a 3rd grade education pushed on his children, (as a matter of one of the worst beating I received from my father was about my grades). Now the years that followed was devastating to say the least my father in a jealous rage attempted to shoot and my mother and baby sister, thanks be The Most High God although my father shot my mother in the head and although he aim the gun at my baby sister but by grace of God he turned the gun on himself and shot and killed himself.

As a result of this incident, and due finical devastation my family had to sell the home built by father(was a great provider)and me(laborer),and move to Churchill projects in Richmond Va,. Nevertheless because of learning at an early age work ethics and discipline I excel in several sports and academics and won a full scholarship between football and academics to Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC,

As a result of what my father actions set into place my youngest brother got in to trouble, hanging with the wrong group, and was going to be placed in Juvenile detention, I got the call from my mother.
(yes my mother told me that angel of the Lord foretold her what my father would do to her, but that she would survive, so when they wheel her to the hallway of MCV, and placed a sheet over her, after several hours she sat straight up with the bullet that went through the front and top of her forehead and the doctors operated on her and she made a full recovery) but unfortunate high blood pressure and sugar diabetes took her home at age 62 on a bus stop seat.

But I digress the phone call from my mother about my baby brother, well I got on the road after praying about and showed up in the court room, the judge asked me who I was and where did I live, I told him that I was the eldest son of my mom and then the Lord soften the judge, the compliant and the DA and they all agreed that if I would become the legal guardian of my baby brother and take him back to NC to live with me, all charges would be drop and his record sealed.

So although I had a full scholarship for a dual degree BS in mathematics and civil engineering, I talked with my college advisor and had it change to just a mathematics degree, which I obtain in 1987.

I became his legal guardian and got him through high school, at age 16 he decided to go to the army and served their until he retired as a commission officer and now is a stay at home dad to his son, my nephew ( he is an awesome father)

After some time about 18_years with NCDOT I was able to retire and pursue and obtain my BS degree in Civil engineering in 2000, I was able to fulfill an obligation to my LC mentor and mathematics professor, who if it wasn’t for him I might not have graduated with my BS degree in mathematics. I taught middle school mathematics for 5_years. After which I started working with the City of Charlotte, as a project coordinator for the water department on small to medium size water and sewer installation projects from conception to completion. In this time I was able to obtain my online masters degree MS in CE Construction management from NJIT in 2014. Another turn in my life allowed me and my son to in to The Boys Scout of America, him as a tiger scout me as an assistant scout master, together, I completed the adult version of the Eagle Scout badge Wood Badge, him (my son at age 14 received his Eagle Scout badge. My son graduated from high school and is a freshman at one of my Alma Marta, 2021 and now it seems that God Almighty is opening other doors for me to obtain my doctorate, which was inspired by my dad, RE-kindle by my niece, who obtained hers this year. I would be very grateful and humbled if I had a chance to fulfill a personal life long dream.