Please draft a response to another students discussion board post. Here was the original instructions the student was answering in their original post:

1. What is your experience with doctoral persistence? If you do not have much experience with doctoral persistence, what is your experience with persisting to complete difficult tasks?
2. From your experience, what do you think is required to succeed in a doctoral business program?

Here is the students post you are responding to:

Doctoral Persistence

I knew that I wanted to earn my doctoral degree after talking with my professors my first day of undergrad. I was the first person in my family to earn my bachelor and masters degrees, likewise, I will be the first to earn my Doctorate. My sisters all started undergrad, however, life events prevented them from continuing. My brother never desired to attend college. I am the youngest of five children, so they all pushed me to do great. They all encouraged me every step of the way. My entire family views me as the one who will do great things in life. I also have ten nieces and nephews who look up to me. To have a doctoral degree will not only be a huge accomplishment for me, but for my family as well.

I have taken twelve classes in the Doctor of Business Administration program. This is class number thirteen for me. I decided to jump straight into my doctoral degree right after my masters degree. I made that decision because I knew that if I waited at all, it would take me years to start again, just as it did with my masters. I graduated undergrad in 2013, however, I did not start my masters degree until 2017. After my third class in this program, I was torn between continuing straight through with my degree or taking a break to regroup and start back within a year. That class had really done a number on me and made me question my abilities. I prayed and weighed my options and thought through the lessons that I teach my daughter; the biggest one being to never quit, I decided to continue to go straight through.

I faced another crossroads in February of 2020. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer and my grandmother’s health was deteriorating due to her pancreatic cancer and newly diagnosed lung cancer. All my family is in South Carolina and I am in Louisiana, so I could not just pick up and be with either of them. I could not concentrate and cried for days causing me to almost miss assignment deadlines. My grandmother’s body began to shut down and it was only a matter of time. At this point, I am ready to withdraw from school. The last conversation I had with my grandmother, she said to me, “You just don’t know how much I love you and how proud I am of you”. She died on March 10, 2020.

Classes were due to start that following Monday and I was in no mood to do anything. I wanted to withdraw from classes. I thought back on her words and recalled the smile on her face when she said that to me and decided to continue with my degree. I could not quit so far in especially after her passing. I must finish this degree not only for myself, but for my grandmother. It was not an easy task pressing on and continuing with life after the matriarch of my family was no longer with us here on earth. Daily, I pray asking God for the strength to continue and talk to my grandmother. Giving up is not an option.

Obtaining a doctoral degree is no easy feat and it is not for anyone that lacks drive, persistence, and determination. It can be even more challenging in the online setting, given the fact that there is no set schedule when to attend classes. You must possess discipline and good time management skills. I have experienced both campus courses and online course; online course, in my experience are more rigorous. There are certain sacrifices that must be made, such as, long nights of research and studying, forgoing a pleasurable weekend, family event, or vacation to meet assignment deadlines.

It can be tempting to procrastinate when pressured by your peers to hangout rather than do your work. Prayer, persistence, and strong willpower is what will get you through these challenges. You must be willing to expend the effort to pursue your degree despite the challenges that may arise. You must also be due diligent and be committed to their goal of succeeding in a doctoral business program. The last and perhaps a very important element to success in a doctoral business program in a strong and understanding support system. There will be times where giving up would be the easiest option, but not the best option. You must have at least one person in their life that will push them to keep going.

Here is the instructions when replying to this students post::

1. What appears to be the central theme(s) of your classmate’s experience?
2. How does your experience and your classmate’s experience differ?