Dragon of the Month: Angela Burroughs

Not even a hurricane could keep Angela Burroughs from completing her schoolwork.

Burroughs, an online RN-to-BSN student, was at her home in Marion, South Carolina when Hurricane Matthew hit. The storm flooded her backyard, downed a tree that blocked her driveway and caused an electrical outage that lasted nearly a week. Any other student may have taken all of this as a sign that they should put their schoolwork on the backburner for a while.

But Burroughs is a Dragon, and Dragons can’t be stopped.

Despite having no electricity, Burroughs was determined to finish her coursework on time. “I used my laptop until it was dead,” she said. “It was not long before my cell phone was dying. So, then I transferred everything to my tablet. Eventually, all my electronic devices were dead. I put my cell phone in my truck to charge it. I alternated charging the cell phone and the tablet.  It is amazing what you can do if you need to. I did my school work several nights in the dark with a small light. I could barely see. I typed in the dark on that little tablet. On these nights, I did my work until all my devices were dead. Then, I would go outside in the pitch dark to plug them all in.”

Kind of makes you feel guilty about putting off your homework to watch Netflix, doesn’t it?

Despite her seemingly superhuman dedication to her studies, Burroughs believes that anyone can overcome the challenges that may stand in the way of their education.  

“There are many obstacles we face in life, but I promise you there is light at the end of the tunnel. Do not give up, because with hard work and dedication it can be done,” she said. “I have completed all my courses with A’s and B’s. No, I am not bragging on my grades; I am bragging on my determination to get my RN-to-BSN degree. If I can do it, you can do it too.”