As a high school dropout, Shane Haley earned his GED at 16 years old. But by age 25, he was still working six days a week at a Cracker Barrel until he was 25, he struggled to make ends meet for rent.

“I knew things weren’t going to change unless I did something different,” explained Haley, a native of Houston, Texas. “One day I was chatting with my mom on the phone when she mentioned that there was a college in Aberdeen, where she was living. So, I took the opportunity and moved in with her.”

That opportunity ended up being the right one: Haley is now thriving as a psychology major in NSU's School of Education.

Haley had his doubts at first. “Since I didn’t complete high school, I was not confident I would make it through college, but I decided not to drop out and hoped that trying my best would get me somewhere new.”

Challenged to Try New Things

Albeit his initial doubt, Haley has since been challenged by his classes and professors to try new things and to become more organized, thoughtful, and to prioritize his school work along with everyday life.

Haley explains how somehow, along the way, he chose to change how he dressed, and how it was an outward expression of his own inner, mental change. “College certainly changed me as a person. I feel like the biggest change I’ve made is that I’ve begun to think of myself as a professional.”

“When I started college, my motto was ‘D’s get degrees,’ and now I’m flustered when I receive a B,” Haley said. “Now, I feel like no matter where I end up, I will be able to prioritize, organize, and think critically about the unique challenges that come my way.”

Defining Success

When asked about his struggles in his college career so far, Haley explains how his biggest obstacle has commonly been himself.  “I have always been my biggest enemy. Self-doubt and not believing in myself had kept my life stagnant for years.”

“Once I realized how important love is, I realized how important it is to love myself. Over time, I started to love myself and that made it easier to love others. My life started to do really well after that,” Haley revealed.

He admits that he is still not perfect by any means, but is learning to “get out of his own way” and keeps moving forward by not allowing fear to be the base of the decisions he makes. 

“I define success by forward movement. It’s not just if you achieve your goal, it’s if you grew. Success is the tip of a mountain of failures.” He said.

“Not being perfect is the first step in the right direction. As long as you are taking those steps, you will move forward.” He said. “Some days you move an inch, other days you move feet at a time. Next thing you know, you look back and realize you moved miles from your starting point.” He said.

Inspired by the Greats

Influenced by great minds like Nikola Tesla, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein, Haley was driven from a young age to think big.

“They inspired me to use my mind,” Haley said. “To ask the questions no one will ask.”

But, he said his greatest influence of all has to be his mom.

“As a single mother, she raised three boys and I can’t count the number of times that my life could have gone off the rails completely if she wasn’t there for me,” Haley said. “Her love and sacrifice paved the way for me to have a future and if not for her, I wouldn’t be here at NSU.”

With the help of a Psychology degree from Northern, Haley hopes to become a mental health therapist in Colorado, and to be someone that helps people while spending his free time writing and playing music, and participating in multiple outdoor activities.

Learn more about NSU's School of Education programs here.