| There's a choice to make when people tell you --time and time again -- that you won't make it. You can concede and prove them right or you can prove them wrong. Ebony Bivens proved them wrong. Bivens, 24, has faced extraordinary obstacles to get to where she is today-a graduate of MATC's (Madison Area Technical College) 2-year marketing program. On May 20, Bivens walked down the aisle at her MATC graduation ceremony to receive her well-earned Associate of Applied Science degree in marketing. Her eight-year-old, four-year-old, and two-year-old sons were there to cheer her on. It was a day that even Bivens herself wasn't sure she would ever see. Born in Milwaukee, Bivens was raised by her mother -- an administrative assistant -- and her father -- a mechanic. For the most part, her childhood was good. She credits this to the remarkable support and spirit of her mother. "I was always a happy child," Bivens said. "My mom definitely deserves credit for this. She would go without in order to make sure I was okay." Bivens world turned upside-down at the impressionable age of 12, when her mother passed away from cancer. Bivens' father didn't properly care for the children that were left behind. "My dad basically stopped being a full-time parent," Bivens said. "I had to work in order to buy school clothes for myself. Essentially, I have been fending for myself since the age of 12." Bivens became pregnant at the age of 15, a circumstance that naysayers said sealed her fate to fail. She dropped out of high school and focused on raising her first son. "It's a big change in a teenager's life," Bivens said about her first pregnancy. "I was just trying to survive. Basically, no one was in my corner." Bivens lived from house-to-house and fought every step of the way to provide basic needs for both her son and herself. Somewhere inside of her, however, was an infallible strength and determination to succeed. "A lot of people said I wouldn't make it," she said. "I think I became strong because I was so focused on doing right. I definitely get my strength, too, from my mother." Although not physically present, Bivens relies daily on the guidance offered by her mother's memory. Her mother was the only person in Bivens' social network that pursued a college degree. This inspired Bivens to do the same. Bivens obtained her G.E.D. from MATC and went on to pursue her marketing degree after giving birth to her third child. She studied a wide range of marketing topics including sales, international marketing, advanced marketing, and customer service management. She did all this, while managing her life at home as a single mother of three energetic sons. Every step of the way, Bivens was looking out for the interest of her children. "I want to provide a great life for my kids," she said. "I want to establish something for them." Bivens voice filled with pride when she talked about her eight-year-old, a boy she described as "so smart." After her graduation ceremony, her son told her, "Mama, I'm so proud of you." What Bivens perhaps doesn't realize yet, is that she, like her mother did for her, is showing her boys how to overcome obstacles and succeed. Bivens is now pursuing a career in the marketing field and filling her days with job interviews. She credits MATC with offering a quality program that properly prepared her to attack the job market and pursue a career in her field. As she faces the challenges of this new journey, she hopes to be an inspiration to young women who may be facing the same kinds of challenges she has faced. Her advice to them is to not give up. "Many obstacles are definitely going to definitely pop up along the way," she said. "Even if you have no one in your corner, you can do it. It won't happen over night. Set a goal and try your very best to reach it." |
| Graduation at Madison Area Technical College Against all odds/ By Laura Salinger |
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