La Salle Student Shares Her Story Of Overcoming Long Odds To Graduate
By Dom Giordano
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Graduating La Salle University student Bianca Perry shared her experiences overcoming family dysfunction, including her mother's drug addiction, imprisoned relatives, and her dangerous behavior to finish college and start on a career path.
Perry told Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT her hard beginnings are what gave her the resolve to complete her education.
"I look at my life and I feel like that's what makes me determined to make a better life for myself. Growing up, I looked at the things that my family was into and I was thought to myself this isn't what I want for my future. To get to where I am now, I felt like my education was what was most important to break that cycle."
She said there were plenty of points along the way where she was almost sidetracked, but ultimately had the determination to fight through.
"I was stuck at one point where I didn't know which way I was going. I was getting in to the wrong things but at the same time, I was taking advantage of my education...Being in those situations made me open my eyes. This isn't what I want for myself. Actually getting arrested and being in a jail cell, that was traumatizing. It literally runs in my family. It's a cycle of incarceration and poverty. Being in that moment, I felt this isn't what I want. This isn't where I need to be."
Perry said she is considering continuing her education and wants to help others in similar situations.
"I would like to go to law school and I would like to make the system better. I think being a criminal justice major and growing up in that environment has opened my eyes to how disproportionate the law can be and the system can be. If I do go down that field, I would definitely like to do something to make it better."