University of Phoenix Graduates in 2025 in Las Vegas - Day 1

Chapter 1: Overcoming Adversity and Finding Motivation 0:00 The easiest thing to do is give up. Sure. I can wake up and say, I don't want to this no more. Yeah. 0:04 If you have an idea on what you want in life, which we all either have or have a thought of, just go do it. 0:13 Yeah. Just go do it. The only person that can stop you is you. Yeah. We all come from different backgrounds, circumstances, things like that. I have all, I have issues too, just like everybody else. 0:21 I have abandonment issues. have this and that, but that's not going to stop me. 0:25 That's actually going to motivate me and go, Let me do this and then let me let my kids see me do this. 0:33 I graduated with my master's, I had that emptiness. Because coming to the commencement, I remember watching all the doctorate students who graduated with a lot of admiration. 0:44 And I actually walked up to one and I said, congratulations, Doc. And I shared contacts with her. 0:51 I so wanted to graduate with my doctorate because I knew a doctorate degree opens opportunities for others to learn from you. 1:00 So yes, I am super excited. Hello and welcome to a special episode of the Degrees of Success podcast. 1:11 I'm Jack. You might recognize me from our TikTok and Instagram channels. And today I get the honor of being a guest host on this special edition of the podcast. 1:19 That's right. We're here in Las Vegas, Nevada at the 2025 University of Phoenix commencement. 1:24 I'm here with Derek Dominique Montgomery, who is graduating with his Bachelor of Psychology. Derek, how you doing? I'm good, I'm good. 1:33 It's been a long morning but I'm here. Well, we're happy to have you here. Tell me a little bit how, you know, the lead up to today. 1:40 How has this week been for you? I feel like the last two months have been the longest ever because initially I wasn't supposed to graduate until next April. 1:49 Yeah. But then I added a couple more classes and I got a phone call that said if I can get everything done before July 29th, then I'll be able to be at the commencement today. 2:01 And so I was taking five classes at one time for like two or three months straight. Dang. And working. 2:07 So, OK, so work, get off work and have school from maybe four to like nine or ten. 2:15 Wow. And yeah, it ends up, you know, getting that email saying you can register for commencement in Vegas. 2:23 And yeah, this has been the longest two months. But yeah, I'm so glad it's here today. 2:29 Well, we're so happy for you and just that you get us that we get to celebrate this moment with you today. it feels like you probably can breathe. 2:45 Well, great. Well, we'd love to hear a little bit about your journey with just the University of Phoenix. Maybe start off with why the University of Phoenix and begin. Chapter 2: The Journey to Graduation: A Long Road 2:55 it's this journey is a long journey, right? This isn't a regular four-year bachelor's degree journey my first initial Signing to the schools in 2011. 3:08 Okay, was in the military. Okay, and when I was in the military You have questions like what are you gonna do after the military? 3:15 Yeah, cuz I knew I had signed up for eight years So was like, what are you gonna do after this? 3:19 and I knew I wanted to do psychology then but I also knew I knew what to do like early childhood development. 3:27 was it was between those two. So then time kept going. I signed up for school in 2011. Goofed it off. 3:35 Messing my GI bill up because it's just like not really taking classes serious. And at that time I was doing music. 3:43 And so when I look at my transcript yesterday, said. 3:50 Wow, the first, it says 2011 to 2025. So I am so grateful and thankful to even be here because this was 14 years coming. 4:00 Wow. And I have more time because of grad school and stuff like that. However, I'm just thankful. It's been a long journey. 4:07 And I got introduced to University of Phoenix just off of a commercial. Oh, really? The same way I got introduced to the military, being impulsive. 4:15 I saw a military commercial and I was like. could be all I could be. 4:19 So I went ahead and signed up and then ah one day I was looking at a commercial and the University of Phoenix came up and I said I should sign up. 4:29 and I signed up and yeah this has probably been everyone at this school that I've talked to on the phone personally which I've talked to a million people because I you have to 4:39 call financial all the time or academic or uh they always tell me I would get to this spot. Yeah. 4:46 And I've had so many people help me get to this spot, especially in the last couple of months, knowing I was trying to push to get to this commencement. 4:54 I don't know his last name, but his name Ryan over at. With academics and he helped so much, he called whoever he had to call at the commencement and said, hey, has all this credits. 5:05 He just needs to do this and let him know. And then he called me back and said, hey, they're about to let you register. 5:12 And so it has been just the greatest thing ever been here. That's awesome. it sounds like when you came back, you had 100 % support to get to this finish line. 5:23 So what happened, I guess, or what clicked in you that was like, I need to really just get my stuff together and go for it. 5:31 A Rick. OK, yeah. 5:34 I was on my way to work and then I got into a horrible car accident and um that just changed everything because you think for sure in the moment you think you're going to die or you don't know what's going on. Chapter 3: The Importance of Family and Support 5:51 just it was a bad moment. And the first thing I thought about was my kids. I thought about my daughter and my son. And I said, I have to do something else like. 6:00 Music was my whole life. Songwriter was my whole life. And I was like, you have to do something else. 6:04 You need to do something that's going to be not only beneficial for you, but beneficial for them in the long run and beneficial for other people. 6:12 Like, you know, my career is in marriage and family therapy. 6:17 watching couples make it in life or things like that is kind of what drives me to being a better person. 6:25 And I remember that day I was in the hospital and I was just like. It's more, it has to be more of the life than this. 6:32 And I think sometimes God, the universe, whatever you believe in, either send you a sign, if you don't see that sign, it'll make you feel the sign. 6:42 And that was my make you feel the sign moment that's changed us up. 6:45 oh I've had moments of phone conversations with my daughter's mom, my best friends, just everyone just like, hey, we know you love this. 6:58 However, we see more in you as well. so, yeah, it's kind of how I ended up in this spot that I'm in today. 7:06 Yeah, well, that's amazing. And that's really, really inspiring. So tell me a little bit about, I mean, we talk about how University of Phoenix students balance it all. 7:16 Right. And so aside from school, what else do you got going on outside of that that you were also balancing? Work. 7:25 I have to like I said, I have two kids. Yeah. Work. I work at a private school in Houston. OK. 7:32 So you got to think about your work. It's about just a full time job. Right. Then you have to you're in school full time. 7:41 Yeah. So it's it's definitely. I can understand why some people don't finish because it was days where I was just like, how am I? 7:51 I'm like, didn't sleep. Yeah. Especially when you look up and you need a five page paper in this or it's a 20 slide presentation. 8:03 Sure. But they want you to narrate it. So so now you're like, wait, I to do the presentation and I have to talk and I have to edit this and I don't have enough storage on my phone. 8:14 And I'm kind of going through one thing after the other. So now I'm like, I got to delete this app, delete this app, delete this. So it's just. It's demanding, but I think everything in life that you want is demanding. 8:24 Sure. So you want to put the work in or you want to complain about it. And I had nights of complaining to myself. Sure. 8:32 But I was never going to quit. Yeah. Like that was never going to happen. I just use things as motivation. 8:39 And yeah, I'm here today. Yeah. So you speak of motivation. A lot of students try and figure out what their why is, right? 8:47 What's that why that keeps us going through those challenging times? What would that have been for you? It's a couple of us. Yeah, my kids. 8:55 I have a 15 year old son that's looking at me. He's now in the engineer program and his high school. 9:02 I have my seven year old daughter. I have my little brother that just started college last month that's going to school to be a veterinarian. Chapter 4: Pursuing a Career in Psychology and Therapy 9:12 That's my wife, my grandmother that's 92. And she just wanted to see me graduate. Yeah. So. 9:21 I'm the second person in my family to graduate. Wow. So she's looking at this like, you know, and her birthday is next month. 9:29 So she's she was so excited. Leaving, watching me leave the house yesterday. She was just crying up a storm. I was like, all right, that's enough. I get it. 9:36 You've been crying for the last two weeks. But those are my wives, my mama, which is the strongest. Oh, my God, the strongest woman I've ever met in my life. 9:47 Salado wise man. Yeah, myself. Most people don't get themselves credited or say they could be. 9:55 I want to be what I didn't have. Right. I didn't grow up with a father in the house. don't know who my dad is. Yeah. So I want to be that for my kids. 10:04 I want to be just that's it's a lot of wise man. 10:10 And the thought of being a great husband one day is a why to me. When I look at these couples and I see things, I'm like, OK, one day I'm going to be. 10:19 Not in this situation where you guys are needing me. However, you know, counseling, I tell people you should go there even if you don't need counseling. 10:28 Sure. We all need to just talk to someone. Just the awareness, right? And getting things out there. Yeah, absolutely. 10:36 speaking of kind of counseling and that realm, so Bachelor of Psychology and we're gonna do a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. 10:45 um So what excites you about that journey? There's nothing like watching two people figure it out. 10:55 Of course, they come in and it's that issues that have problems, they have this, that and the third. But them figuring it out. 11:02 Man, that's. It's amazing that. I haven't been the greatest in relationships. 11:12 I don't always say the right things. I haven't always done the right things. There's things I. A thousand things I could have done better. Sure. Right. 11:20 um However, when I see couples that come in to the office or things like that, you're like, they're trying. 11:28 Yeah. The first step in anything is just trying. And if I see someone's trying, I just want to be there to assist. 11:35 And so, yeah, this has been something I've been the friend that all my friends call and ask advice for forever. 11:43 Yeah. And all my friends are married. Like all my friends are married. So I'm the one that like, hey, and I don't give bias opinion. 11:50 I'm not like, hey, well, she should know. I'm like, no, you shouldn't say that in that situation. Yeah. Maybe you should do this. Right. Right. 11:57 And it's no better feeling than your friend calling you the next day said, I did what you told me to do last night. We had the greatest night ever. Chapter 5: Transformative Experiences in Education 12:04 And I'm just like, there you go. That's that's my purpose. Yes. Yes. That kind of feeds my quote unquote ego. 12:12 We all have ego. So we need to feed it in some type of way. Yeah. Mine is helping. people. Well, others is it's kind of like a way to feed your soul, right? 12:21 For sure. 12:22 And I as someone with a background in marriage and family therapy as a therapist, I can totally relate to what you're saying and seeing that transformation in people uh when that 12:32 occurs and just I don't know this aha moment or I don't this like light that yeah, you know, just is so overwhelming and empowering same thing for you going through this degree, right? 12:43 It's a transformation that has occurred, right? Yeah. 12:45 And Yeah, a lot of times I'd say, I think this can apply to graduates as well, but in therapy, know, a lot of times I'd say, if you are not ready, willing or wanting to change, it's not gonna work out. 13:01 so I think same thing for a graduate, right? It's gonna require that fight in you. 13:07 But then you get to this point and you're like, it was worth And it gets to a spot where like let's say today, you're like, I could do anything. 13:17 You know, like, yeah, going to school and graduating is not easy. Yeah. You know, like high school. 13:24 OK, you kind of have your parent waking you up and telling you, let's go here or take you to school or whatever the situation is. Right. Now, you know, don't. 13:32 And then when you get to like our age where you're going back to school, that takes another level of discipline. You know, it's not nobody waking you up. 13:41 It's not nobody asking you, did you finish your homework? It's not nobody asking you. Did you do your discussion questions? Right. Which are due, I feel like every day. 13:51 But yeah, so it's just about helping. It's just about helping. 13:58 There's no better feeling of looking at two people sit next to each other and you say something and then they think about it and they look at each other and just like, I never thought about it like that. 14:06 And you can see the ease. kind of come down, no, it's not gonna fix all the issues. 14:12 However, in that moment, that I don't know if I can do this, don't know if I love you, kind of takes a backseat. 14:20 Now it's like, well, if I incorporate this, maybe I can do this. And so that's just what I'm here to kind of guide. 14:29 Exactly. Well, I can tell already you're going to be a great therapist and counselor. So that's amazing. 14:36 I wish you the best of luck on that journey. And I'm really excited to see your journey continue here with your masters. 14:43 uh Now, if you had any advice that you would give to maybe someone who's just starting their educational journey, what would that be? Chapter 6: Advice for Future Students 14:55 Don't give up. I know it sounds cliche. That's like the most cliche thing somebody could say is don't give up. But I promise you everything is. 15:03 I promise you now it's never going to feel or look the way you think it's going to look or feel. Sure. Why are you doing it? Or once you even get there. Yeah. 15:11 But when you get there. Sorry. I crying a bit. um But when you get there, it. 15:22 When you get there, because you're going to get there. Sure. So if I had to look at somebody, you're going to get there. Mm Just don't give up. Yeah. 15:28 You're going to get there is going to take some sleepless nights is going to come with maybe not talking to people as much or you can't go out as much or you don't know. 15:39 Maybe you don't know how you're going to pay for school. Right. A lot of things that can happen, but you're going to get there. Yeah. Now, the easiest thing to do is give up. 15:47 Sure. I can wake up and say, I don't do this no more. Yeah. 15:49 But if you have Idea on what you want a life which we all either have or have a thought of right? 15:58 Just go do it. Yeah, just go do it. The only only person that can stop you is you yeah We all come from different background circumstances things like that whether it's I have all I have issues too. 16:09 Just like everybody else. I have abandonment issues I have this and that and but that's not gonna stop me. 16:14 It's actually gonna motivate me and go Let me do this And then let me let my kids see me do this and let me so. 16:25 Yeah, sorry, about the choke me up in here, man. You're good. Yeah. Well, that's great. Well, thank you for joining us today on the podcast. Chapter 7: Celebrating Achievements and Gratitude 16:34 We really enjoyed hearing your story and we are so excited for you. Thank you so much. I want to say thank you. Go ahead. 16:42 Yeah, one like literally. I don't know what camera I'm at right now. I'm right here. OK, so first of all, I want to say thank you to all the staff at University of Phoenix. 16:53 Every single person that has listened to me, then talk, ask a million questions, call back 30 times through the week, asking this than a third. 17:03 Just everything. I don't know everybody's name. but everybody deserves a raise. And I don't know how that works, but give everybody a raise. 17:11 And I want to thank everybody that's here for the degrees of success. And I want to say congratulations to all the graduates and congratulations to my mama for having me. 17:23 Beautiful. uh Well, thank you, Derek. Thank you. We're here now with Dr. 17:29 Diana, who will be receiving her Doctor of Management today from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Diana, Diana, how are doing? 17:37 Good, good. How are you feeling today specifically? I feel really great. I feel overwhelmed. I feel excited. 17:45 I mean, there's a whole lot just in one thought. It's excitement and success. So I feel really great. 17:52 uh I love it. Now, you had graduated with your MBA in 2011 and then 2025 this year with your doctor of management. 18:00 Is there a different feeling this time around? What's it like? Yes, there's a different feeling because I'm not just graduating. 18:10 I'm becoming a doctor. Sure, absolutely. adds a whole lot of substance to it. 18:17 And if you know who a doctor is, then you know how I feel. Yes. 18:20 Well, when I graduated with my master's, I had that emptiness because coming to the commencement, I remember watching all the doctorate students who graduated with a lot of admiration. 18:32 And I actually walked up to one and I said, congratulations, dog. And I shared contacts with her. 18:39 I so wanted to graduate with my doctorate because I knew a doctoral degree opens opportunities for others to learn from you. 18:48 So yes, I am super excited. Now was that the moment that you decided to go for your doctorate degree or has that always been the plan? 18:58 Well, education has been at the forefront of everything I do. I know back in the day I never had a lot, but I did believe that education would propagate me to the place where I want to be. 19:09 Yes, I wanted to have the highest degree I could have. And of course, that's a doctorate. Yeah. Yeah. So it was a long plan coming. 19:17 Yeah, well that's great. So tell us a little bit about your journey with the University of Phoenix. So why the University of Phoenix and how that planned out. Chapter 8: The Impact of Education on Community 19:26 sure. University of Phoenix for sure. It's one unique institution that has served my needs. 19:32 I remember when I came to the US, I was looking for a school. My long term goal when I was growing up is to become a politician. 19:41 Funny, right? That's great! But I'm doing politics somehow in a low capacity. 19:49 So I wanted to be a politician. But when I got here and I got my first job as a server and when I was working, I saw myself earning what? 19:57 $2 and 13 cents. And I said to myself, when am I ever going to move from this stage to a stage where this person who owns this restaurant got there? 20:08 And I said, but what if I learn business? What if I switch my thought process to business? 20:15 I did a little research and I said, okay, business administration might just be the answer to my uh quest. 20:22 And I came home, one of those days tired, just watching TV and bam, there was an ad for University of Phoenix for working adults. 20:32 What more was I looking for? And so the next day I made a call and that was the best call I ever made. 20:40 And that this was what year was this about? This was in 2010, 2011. Yes. 20:48 Wow. And so you mentioned, you know, moving to the States. So um originally from Cameroon, West Africa. 20:55 So what um what brought you over? Tell us a little bit about that. Yes, I came to meet my husband. Okay. Yes. 21:02 oh I came to meet my husband so we could, of course, grow a family and face life together. Okay, and now have any kids right now? 21:11 Three kids, okay. are they feeling seeing their mom today? Oh! They are feeling great. 21:20 Sure. They are super proud of mom. Yeah. And they are my inspiration every day. Yeah. Yeah. 21:26 I remember that my first residency, my son, my 14 year old now was just, how? 21:35 He was just a couple of months. Yeah. When I started that program and I went for my first residency. 21:41 I remember the feeling leaving my son behind just to go for my residency. I remember how emotional it was. 21:47 I cried all through, but hey, he kept me going. 21:52 even over the years as it passed by, I said to myself, if I had to make that sacrifice back in the day for that, then I should finish this journey. 22:00 So they are my inspiration and I'm glad I finally did. Oh, I love it. That's great. 22:05 So it sounds like you said they're your motivation, they're your why, I would assume. 22:12 with your, uh you know, we think about the future, what we're going to do with these degrees when we have them. 22:18 So tell me a little bit about maybe what you're currently doing now that is uh either related to your doctoral degree and maybe what you plan to do in the future. 22:28 Sure. Well, I'm glad that University of Phoenix gave me new meaning. I would say new lease of life. Yeah. 22:34 Because I'm a doctor and I'm an entrepreneur in so many diverse forms. I am a real estate agent. 22:43 I am into banking. I am into nonprofit. 22:48 Again, I specialize in nonprofit because I was so convinced that there's a need to find out why nonprofits feel the very people that need them most. 22:58 I remember that one time I went to a nonprofit to seek for help and right about I'm at the door trying to get help when they had screened me and said, you can come and get some help. 23:08 But on that day, on the door, I saw what we ran out of funds. 23:14 That was the day I said, If I'm doing my doctorate, I should study the world of nonprofit. 23:20 And I'm glad to say today, I have nonprofits doing different things. 23:26 I have nonprofits that is trying to help the community through social education. I have a university. 23:33 I'm helping the underprivileged kids to get a better education. I have a nonprofit that helps those who have newly immigrated to the United States to know what and where they should go. Chapter 9: Navigating Challenges in Education 23:44 I have a non-profit where I help women to learn about financial stability, financial independence, and grow in their different spheres of life. 23:54 So yes, University of Phoenix has helped to impact me, where I am also impacting a lot of people. Yeah, my goodness, is there anything you can't do? 24:07 I think I can climb a mountain. I hate heights. Hey, I don't know. I'm just saying everything you could, I bet you could. 24:14 But that's incredible. So thank you for sharing that. 24:17 So thinking about other alumni or just uh new students going on there, whether it be a doctoral journey or just a bachelor or master's, what advice would you give to them uh that maybe could have helped you when you were starting out? 24:36 Well, I would say go back when it's tough, because I wouldn't sit here and sugarcoat it. 24:43 That is going to be all sweet and tasty all through the journey. No, they're going to be tough times. 24:51 But when they come, I will say seek the counsel of your academic advisors. They are a very great resource. 24:59 They've been helpful for me. 25:01 And over time, I am seeing that University of Phoenix is implementing the notion of mentors and mentees. 25:10 Make use of them. There's a website for that. Go there, get yourself registered. And for those who have graduated, offer your services. 25:18 University of Phoenix has done a lot. Why don't you do the same? I'm mentoring a couple of students and I love doing it. 25:25 So please, when it's tough to not give up, we are here. Mentors are out. We have academic advisors. 25:33 They will be able to walk you through. I remember talking to a student who was going through a very hard time. said, well, I'm really stressed. 25:41 I think I can't do it anymore. I said, no, you can do it. The answers are right around you. Take a deep breath. Look at where you've come from. Chapter 10: Final Thoughts and Acknowledgments 25:49 I don't think you want to let go. So if you think of where you came from and what you're expecting to get to, there's need for you to move forward. 25:58 So they should always take a deep breath and seek for help. Yeah. Help us always stay with University of Phoenix. 26:04 ah Love it. So speaking of, you know, the challenges that we encounter during our educational journey, what were those challenges for you and how did you overcome them? 26:15 academically, there were times that courses were challenging, but I reached out to my instructors privately. 26:23 And it's not what you say, but how you say it. When I reached out to my instructors, they were willing and they scheduled extra sessions and most of the time video sessions where we could interact. 26:35 I remember one of my instructors who kept up with me, will call me, made a schedule to call me every week. And again, this is absolutely free. 26:42 So thanks to University of Phoenix that created such a great platform. Yeah, yeah. 26:47 Well, I'd love to just open it up to you in case there's anything else you want to say or anyone you want to thank today for getting you here, supporting you through the floor is yours. 26:59 Yes. Um, I want to give a special thanks to my husband, my darling, sweetheart. 27:06 Um, being here today is a testament of love because he stood by me at every time. 27:13 Just when I said, well, I think it's about time for me to let go. I said, look at it, honey, we are doing fine. 27:20 We have a couple of companies. We're helping people. So why do we need it? He said, you do need it. You cannot be a quitter. 27:28 You need to finish. So I want to thank my husband and I thank the Almighty for giving us grace, for giving us great health to move together up to this stage. 27:38 I thank my kids too who have been with me and my family as a whole. But more importantly, I want to thank the University of Phoenix that gave us a platform, that gave us this foundation. 27:50 And the instructors are awesome. Yes, they are difficult times, but how we navigate it is what matters. 27:58 So I'm grateful for the institution. Beautiful. Well, thank you for joining us today on the podcast. was a pleasure getting to know you more. 28:05 And we're just so happy for you and can't wait to celebrate with you in the ceremony. So. Thank you so much. enjoyed my time here and thank you. 28:14 That brings us to the end of this episode of degrees of success here in Las Vegas, Nevada at the 2025 University of Phoenix commencement. Don't forget to like, subscribe and leave your comments. 28:23 And don't forget to follow UOPX on TikTok and Instagram. I'm Jack and we'll see you next time on degrees of success.