Justin B. Terry-Smith has been involved in LGBTQ and HIV Activism since 1999. He is an Air Force 9/11 Disabled Vet. Raised in Silver Spring, MD, he now lives in Albuequerque, New Meixco with his husband Phil. He writes an HIV/STI Advice Column for A&U Magazine, is a Contributing writer for thebody.com, a Life Coach and an Adjunct Professor. He has earned his Doctorate in Public Health with a concentration in Infectious Disease and his Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Justin's HIV Journal: Justin gets his degree & is accepted into Gradua...
The one things about having HIV/AIDS is that you really don't think about what you want to accomplish because some of us lose hope, but I'm here to say DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR DREAMS!!!! Just because you have HIV/AIDS doesn't mean you have to slow down. You should keep moving forward, keep living, keep loving and definitely keep laughing.
It took me a while to get my degree, BUT I finally got it. I had my Associates Degree from Axia College in Communications. My family has always put an importance on having a degree, and sometimes I've felt like I've disappointed them. Now I have another reason to make my family proud but more importantly to make me proud. My husband is also the driving force that has helped me get where I am with my education.
So knowing this I had no choice but to go for my Bachelor's Degree. It means a lot to me that I earned this degree. But now that I'm on a roll I will not stop. Graduate School here I come. I plan on going to get my Master's in Public Health from Walden University. My classes start in June and I'm so excited and nervous at the same time.
This was emotional for me because when I was diagnosed getting my education was the last thing I would ever think of doing. BUT you have to stay strong and go for your dreams DO NOT STOP
