Student Perspectives: A Promise Fulfilled After an Unlikely Journey

When my mother was battling stage 4 cancer, I made her a promise that would change the course of my life.

For years, she had encouraged me to return to college, believing in potential I had yet to recognize in myself. As her health declined, she confided that one of her greatest disappointments was that none of her sons had earned a college degree.

During one of our final conversations, I promised her I would become the first.

She smiled and replied, “I would love to see that.”

Although my mother did not live to see me graduate, her faith in me became the foundation for everything that followed.

My mother, Sandra Ohara Harmon, was much more than a parent to me. She was an educator, a tireless advocate for justice, and a person who never stopped helping others. Whether through her work, her community involvement, or simply offering encouragement to those who needed it, she devoted her life to serving others.

Growing up, I saw the impact she had on countless people, and her example still shapes how I approach my own life. The promise I made to earn a college degree was not only a promise to her, but a commitment to carry forward the values she lived by every day.

My journey to Fayetteville State University was unconventional. As a younger student, I lacked direction, struggled academically and eventually left college. I spent years working as a long-haul truck driver and later operating a small business. My travels took me across the United States and abroad, including Tanzania, where I met my future wife, Fraidesia.

Those experiences shaped my work ethic and broadened my perspective, but I still felt something was missing.

After my mother’s passing, I returned to FSU determined to fulfill my promise.

Returning to the classroom after years away was challenging. I was newly married, balancing family responsibilities and rebuilding my academic foundation. With each semester, however, my confidence grew, along with my interest in chemistry.

A defining moment came during a school break when I briefly returned to truck driving to support my family. While driving my cousin’s truck through Orlando, Florida, on a route to Detroit, I received an unexpected email from Dr. Bhoj Gautam, my physics instructor.

He invited me to join the Gautam Research Group to study MXenes, a class of advanced materials being explored for their potential use in batteries and other emerging technologies.

At the time, materials research was unfamiliar territory. Still, I recognized an opportunity that could change my future.

I finished the trip, returned the truck and accepted his invitation.

That decision opened a world I had never imagined entering.

Under Dr. Gautam’s mentorship, I discovered a passion for materials chemistry and learned to approach problems like a scientist. He challenged me to recognize abilities I had once doubted and later connected me with Dr. Binod Rai at Savannah River National Laboratory.

The introduction led to a summer internship that deepened my interest in scientific research.

At the laboratory, I worked alongside researchers who introduced me to advanced techniques in materials synthesis, crystal growth, diffraction and data analysis. Additional mentors, including Dr. Zhiping Luo, Dr. Keith Hollis and Dr. Charles Webster, expanded my understanding of microscopy, materials characterization and graduate research.

Each experience built upon the last. My undergraduate research led to opportunities to present my findings at scientific conferences, including the 2026 Microscopy & Microanalysis Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I presented research on the structural and thermal characteristics of MXene materials. The work was also published in the conference proceedings.

Another important opportunity came through a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates at Mississippi State University’s Center for Computational Sciences. There, I conducted computational inorganic chemistry research involving lanthanide compounds with potential applications in blue-light emission. I presented my work in a research poster archived in the university’s Scholars Junction repository.

These experiences changed how I viewed myself. For the first time, I began to see myself as a scientist in training.

During my time at FSU, Fraidesia and I also welcomed our son, Josiah. Becoming a father gave my education even greater meaning. Every accomplishment represented an investment in my family’s future and an example I hoped to set for my son.

My academic journey also strengthened my appreciation for the people and beliefs that sustained me. I remain grateful to my mentors, family, friends and especially my uncle Jack for their encouragement. My faith in Allah, the principles of the Nation of Islam and the teachings of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan helped me develop the discipline and perseverance to navigate difficult moments.

Today, I am an honors student completing my final semester at FSU. In December, I expect to graduate with bachelor’s degrees in general chemistry and materials science and a minor in mathematics.

I have also been admitted to Mississippi State University’s doctoral program in chemistry, where I will begin my graduate studies in January 2027 with a teaching assistantship.

When I returned to college, I wanted to earn a degree and honor my mother. I never imagined that decision would lead to national laboratory research, scientific publications or admission to a doctoral program.

Fayetteville State University allowed me to rediscover my potential and build a future in scientific research. More importantly, my experiences taught me that an uncertain beginning does not have to determine where a person ends up.

I often think about that final conversation with my mother and the smile that followed my promise.

She never got to see how far I would go. But every step of this journey has been shaped by her belief in me.

As I prepare for the next chapter at Mississippi State University, I carry that promise with me. What began as a commitment to my mother has become a commitment to my family, my education and the scientist I am still becoming.