Making Lemonade From The Sour Fruits
In the back of a sweltering vehicle, he got a phone call that would alter his life forever. When Tim Dobbins' girlfriend phoned to tell him she was pregnant, he was in the midst of his college years. It was evident from the quiet that everyone was in a state of complete terror at the time. Tim Dobbins shocked his future family and friends by taking on a fatherly role, enrolling in community college, and understanding the value of a quality education, despite having three years of nontransferable college credit and a low gpa.
Tim Dobbins had no clue what he was getting himself into when he was 21 years old when it came to caring for someone else. He had just lately begun washing his own clothes. Until recently, college was a means to an end; today, it's a means to an end. When he learned he was going to be a father, everything changed. In order for Tim to complete his degree and provide for his family, he had to make some sacrifices. When most individuals would have buckled under the weight of the situation, Tim was steadfast in his resolve to push himself farther.
After three years of studying at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, he strolled into the institution and requested his transcript to transfer to Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, TN, which is located about an hour away. His Bible and music lessons could not be transferred, as he learned after numerous interactions with the admissions office. Although his grade point average was just 2.3, he made sure to wear it like a badge of honor throughout his academic career. He'd have to start college all over again as a freshman after returning home to be with his pregnant girlfriend.
His new kid and fiancée welcomed him back to Nashville with open arms in a one-bedroom studio apartment. In the little flat, there were heaps of books all over the walls and tables. To write an essay, Tim would lock himself in a toilet and sit on a crate, and he would drive several blocks every day to the closest McDonald's so he could use their free wifi. For many years, staying up late and working long hours were the norm. The days of hanging out with buddies are long gone. A love of writing and reading blossomed for Tim. He studied history and literature at Volunteer State University. Tim's professors took the time to get to know him and had a profound impact on him. Asked Tim why he was so dedicated to school, he said, "Having been a terrible student since I can remember, something snapped in me and I simply wanted to study all I possibly could, presumably to make up for the lifetime worth of schooling I ignored."
Tim's kid was unaware of how hard his father worked on school since school did not interfere with Tim's time with his son. He adores his kid as if he were his whole world. To Tim, nothing is off limits if his kid is the one to start it, whether it's a swim, lego build, or tickling war. He's still a child at heart. It's clear that he's an excellent father. That's the type of bond he has with his kid, who calls him "bro" at times.
It was in the summer of 2013 when Tim Dobbins got a scholarship to attend Belmont. During his time at Belmont, he established friends with both faculty and students. Tim, a student of economics, was excelling in his subjects. There were many students at the university who didn't have employment and had to work quite hard to stay up. When Tim finished his undergraduate studies at Belmont University, his kid was celebrating his preschool graduation. Before he discovered his calling in data analytics, he had to do a few internships. "I felt I had to do something other than play guitar and baseball," Tim says. And it had to be something with which I was completely content. Is there any reason to live your life if you aren't having fun?
Since the day he found out he was going to become a father, Tim has been steadily climbing. A steep inclines forced him to labor harder than he had before. In the midst of all of this, he has managed to turn it into a fun and exciting experience for himself and others around him. He made a conscious choice to improve the quality of his own life and the lives of others he cares about by putting in more effort in all areas of his life. Seeing the lemons he was handed at the age of twenty-one, Tim Dobbins made the decision to make the finest lemonade he could out of them.
