VIDEO – Single Father Works Three Jobs While Earning Master’s Degree: ‘I Knew the Dream Was Real’

Amy Furr

A New Jersey father’s dedication and hard work has finally paid off and his family could not be prouder of him.

Desmond Durham worked three jobs and studied late into the night while also parenting his son for the past two years because he had a big goal in mind, Good Morning America reported Monday.

He teaches children during the day, works with adults trying to earn their GED’s, and also leads in a youth basketball program, according to ABC 7.

“Dedication, hard work, long days, long nights, just the will,” Durham said.

His schedule meant he had to get up between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to make sure his son ate and had his homework done before the day took off.

“I probably didn’t go to bed until 12 a.m., maybe 1 a.m. every night, just to wake back up and do it all over again. But I knew the dream was real,” Durham recalled.
On May 23, he graduated from Montclair State University with a master’s in arts and educational leadership.

“I knew how much he had on his plate and I was so impressed with everything he was able to handle and hand in such high quality graduate school work,” Professor Rachel Garver said.

An image shows Durham proudly wearing his cap and gown on the special day:

Now, it is Durham’s dream to one day become a high school principal so he can continue being a positive example for young people in his community.

When he was asked to give the commencement speech to the College of Education and Human Services and the College of Science and Mathematics, Durham talked about his mother, a single parent who taught him to love learning more and more.

He also said when he was 11 years old, his beloved father was murdered, but the loss “has only motivated me to become the best father figure to my son and a role model to all of the students that I encounter in my teaching career,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Durham, whose son is the reason behind his motivation, has advice for those thinking about returning to school.

“You have to know why you do what you do and as long as you know your ‘why’ it’s gonna drive you every single day,” he stated.

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