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What if the people you meet on a fifth-grade playground become the anchor that carries you through college, career, and real life? We sit down with two Detroit best friends whose paths led to Wilberforce University, where “WU-Fam” isn’t a slogan—it’s a safety net. From FAFSA missteps to a turbulent roommate semester, they share how learning to set boundaries, ask for help, and stand on their own turned a friendship into a lifelong support system.

Their stories pull you straight into HBCU culture: rigorous classes, professors who push you to win, and alumni who show up when it matters. An accounting professor’s simple rule for business events becomes career gold. A biology advisor’s empathy after a health scare turns panic into a plan. The message is clear: mentorship plus high standards builds graduates who are steady under pressure. We also get candid about college finances—aid gaps, textbooks, laundry, and off-campus housing—and how comparing scholarship stats, distance from home, and family resources can lead to smarter decisions that you can sustain.

You’ll hear how one balanced jobs, grief, and classes while the other found voice and leadership through campus life and sisterhood in Zeta Phi Beta. Both now thrive in healthcare and medical devices, crediting Wilberforce for the grit, judgment, and community that shaped their careers. If you’re choosing a college—or guiding someone who is—this conversation offers practical tools: focus on fit, build a support system, and commit to finishing. Life will life, but resilience, faith, and the right village can carry you the distance.

If this resonated, share it with a student or parent who needs real talk on HBCUs, college fit, and finishing strong. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what lesson got you through school?