Alyssa F. O'Dochartaigh

Hello everyone! Hope and pray all are doing well.

I just wanted to say how grateful I am to God, I have reached the end of my undergrad journey.

As of 3:52pm today (March 1, 2026), I have officially submitted my final assignment. Thus, completing my final course of my bachelor’s degree program. Come May 23, I will be celebrating my graduation with family and friends, with a fantastic meal, games, and a virtual graduation ceremony.

For those who don’t know, I was attending Southern New Hampshire University. I was taking online courses, and though the journey was long and difficult, I have made it! I officially will have my bachelor’s in English and Creative Writing.

My full journey is not complete, however, as I will go on this following July for my master’s degree (MFA) with plans of later becoming a teacher.
In the mean time, I would love to share this piece with all of you. It is sort of a testimony of God’s faithfulness in this difficult journey, and the realization of his hand being in every moment of it.

I hope you enjoy !

I began my journey right out of high school at Wartburg College. I was an A–B student, made the Dean’s List, and was accepted into an honors society. On the outside, it looked like a strong beginning. What I carried quietly was financial strain and a growing weight of depression. Even with a $25,000 scholarship and additional awards, there were still overwhelming expenses. My grandparents stood behind me as my primary support, and I will always be grateful.

After my first year, tuition increased beyond what I could afford, and I had to transfer. Leaving Wartburg was difficult. I loved that place. But life required a different path.

I enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University, knowing online learning had challenged me before. Some credits did not transfer, and I found myself starting over in many ways. I began well, but depression and anxiety deepened, leading to repeated classes and a two-year setback. During this same season, I faced serious health challenges related to diabetes, including hospital stays and an ICU admission for acute renal failure.

There were moments when finishing felt uncertain.

But I kept going.

Somewhere in the middle, I got married. My husband and I returned to church, and we have remained there since. As my faith deepened, my writing changed. My writing became less about expression alone and more about redemption—about tracing God’s hand through struggle and learning to see grace in the middle of it.

This degree took longer than I planned. It was not a straight path. It included loss, delay, illness, rebuilding, and growth.

But I stand here grateful — not because it was easy, but because through every obstacle, every setback, and every uncertain season, God carried me.

Thank God I made it.