Shanique Daley’s path through higher education has been a road with twists and turns. She was hired as a paralegal straight out of high school and pushed the idea of a college degree to the backburner. For nearly ten years she has worked as a paralegal, and after encouragement from a student advisor, decided to go back to school and complete a degree.

“I always wanted to get my degree, but I also ultimately knew that I didn’t want to be a paralegal forever,” Daley said.

Daley discovered Keiser University and at first enrolled in the Business degree program at the Fort Lauderdale campus, but after taking an Introduction to Psychology course, switched over to a Psychology Ph.D. program. Her plan of achieving a degree in Psychology changed again when she left the Ph.D. program to pursue a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with Keiser University online.

The program has surpassed her expectations, and Daley said she is enjoying every moment of it, especially how hands-on the clinicals are. She is on track to graduate in summer of 2023.

In the span of her college education, Daley has also had to juggle a new baby and fiancé alongside her full-time job. She said that she continued school while pregnant but took a semester off to adjust to the reality of having a newborn.

“I think I’m adjusting well,” she said. “Some days are overwhelming, but I realize that it’s nothing I can’t do.”

If anything, she said that having her son pushed her even more to complete her degree.

After graduating, Daley hopes to open her own practice that will specialize in care of young adults and teens. The inspiration for the practice came after having conversations with her 18-year-old sister and realizing that the voices of young adults are often silenced.

“Those are the voices that are drowned out the most,” Daley said. “They don’t have many avenues to express themselves.”

Daley’s journey through motherhood, partnership, and education have helped her find  her own strengths and she now encourages other women and adults to complete their education, as well.

“Just do it. Just get it done – because life is fleeting.”

Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associates to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and was ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Reports in 2022. Keiser University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges as a level VI institution. For more information, visit www.keiseruniversity.edu.