how do you I had this very vivid memory
of a time when I was nine years old I
was sitting on the couch in my parents
of living room Dodd’s ray is shining
through a big window behind me
and in my lap was this huge flimsy
styrofoam plate filled to the brim with
one of my mama’s famous breakfasts on
that plate was bacon eggs toast so
better that you could see clear through
to the other side and my absolute
favorite grits with sugar on this
particular day I don’t know why but I
was extremely tired and I fell asleep
and I woke up to what I can only imagine
hot lava feels like running down my legs
so I did what any self-respecting nine
year old boy would do I cry for my mama
my mama rushed there said that’s the
baby what’s wrong and all I could muster
up was the the grits she looked at the
grits running down my legs and the grits
on her new couch and that look of
anguish on her face turned to a look of
disdain finish her breakfast and she
walked back to her room now I don’t know
what hurt most the fact that I had grits
running down my legs or the fact that my
mom really didn’t care see all my momma
cared about was that I finished my
breakfast in the fall of 2003 I entered
Texas A&M as a music major I loved music
that was my passion I think I joined
almost every singing organization I
could on campus I was doing more singing
than studying and so I I was kicked out
of the music department I was in between
majors for a while
and then I became an anthropology major
and then I became an English major
and then I became a sociology major and
I stayed there for a little bit because
I really like sociology I was travelling
back and forth between College Station
and Austin Texas performing with a band
and it began to wear on me I would gas
up that 1998 emerald green Honda Civic
her name was faith
I called her faith because I had to have
faith that she would start I had to have
faith that she wouldn’t die on the side
of the road and I had to have faith that
she wouldn’t overheat so me and faith
ride down to 90
she Alba fell apart and so did I I
wasn’t studying so I was kicked out of
the sociology department I went to an
advisor to see what the next step would
be because I did want to finish and they
both looked at my transcript and he
looked at me and he said I’m sorry mr.
Kemp
you will not graduate from Texas A&M
University now clearly we didn’t speak
the same language because I didn’t
understand the word that he said all I
knew is that I wanted to finish school
so then I became an agricultural
leadership and development major I was
doing a little bit better but I was
still traveling back and forth between
Austin and College Station Austin
College Station and after failing my
last horticulture exam I called my good
friend and bandmate Ross Falcon I said
come get me man I’m done but he didn’t
ask questions
we just powered up that 2000 to midnight
blue Toyota Corolla and I hit Austin
Texas and I never looked back now what
living in Austin Texas was extremely
difficult for me
all of my band mates had college degrees
and I didn’t am haunted my dreams I had
this reoccurring dream of myself
kneeling on the edge of my bed in front
of a window my cap and gown on the day
of graduation but I knew that that dream
couldn’t mean anything because that
voice in the back
my head said you will not graduate from
Texas A&M so the band played on we were
fairly successful shows recorded albums
music videos we had two songs on hit TV
shows Nashville and the Fosters but it
wasn’t enough for me I mean when I tell
you am haunted me everywhere I was went
and I’m shirt there were decals and
bumper stickers and every baby had am
onesie on and every dog I’m telling
y’all looks like revelry it haunted my
life I thought about the possibility of
going back but I kept hearing that that
voice in the back of my head you will
not graduate from Texas A&M I talked to
my band mates about the possibility of
going back to school and that
conversation didn’t go over so well so I
called my mama and my mom said Dustin
you just need to take a step out on
faith I said my car – no not your car
just trust in God’s plan now living in
Austin battling depression I didn’t
really know what I believed anymore but
I believe that my mama had a direct
connect to God so I attended to trust
and what she said I wanted to go back to
school Wednesday December 31st 2014 a
day that I would never forget I was
sitting on my mama’s couch I had strep
throat hurt like hell and I could barely
swallow I got an email from one of my
band mates saying that the band was done
and that we needed to move in a new
direction if you could imagine that’s a
hard thing to swallow as well i sat
there on that couch and I cried because
I didn’t have a college degree and
everything that I’d worked so hard for
was being taken away from me my mother
walked in and she said now you know what
at that point I didn’t know if it was
even a possibility so I called the a
life department at Texas A&M and I spoke
to a miss Charlene bagus I told him my
story she looked at my transcript she
said why didn’t you finish you were so
close I told her about my fears about
reapplying and she said just reapply so
I did and that waited months later I
received a letter from Texas A&M
congratulating me on being readmitted I
didn’t think that what happened if you
see my transcript so in the back of my
mind you will not graduate from Texas
A&M it was still a fear but I knew that
I had to move forward in the fall of
2015
i gassed up that midnight blue Toyota
Corolla the Sam Corolla that took me
away from Texas A&M I was driving back I
hit the College Station City Limits with
about half a tank of gas $99 I don’t
have a job I don’t know where I was
gonna live but I registered for those
classes I found my mentor dr. Danielle
Harris I hadn’t seen her in years she
embraced me and then gently pushed me
away and she gave me a look that only
dr. Daniel Harris can give you and she
said are you ready to finish we walked
around the building brainstorming ways
to work places to live and we ran into
dr. Corliss out Lee and before dr.
Harris could introduce me dr. I only
said Dustin Kemp dr. Harris asked her if
there was if she had a position for me
dr. Khatri looked at me and she said if
I hire you are you gonna finish and then
she took me to meet dr. Asha Brown and I
was hired as their student worker now
when I felt like I was wearing out my
welcome my friends couches
I would find a random apartment complex
parking lot and I was sleeping my car
most nights that first semester I did
sleep in my car I came into work
sluggish one day and dr. Brown asked me
wait where do you stay and when I told
her she said no come stay with me don’t
worry just finish I finished that first
year at Texas A&M with one semester left
dr. Brown graduated and I didn’t have a
plan on what to do next and I couldn’t
afford my last semester I heard that
voice in the back of my head again you
will not graduate from Texas A&M I could
remember walking around what I thought
was the whole city of College Station
too afraid to ask my parents to come and
pick me up was not I won’t forget I
slept on the steps of the administration
building I woke up with the Sun and I
finally gathered the courage to call my
dad and ask him to come and pick me up I
went home that summer defeated that
voice still in my head my grandmother
called me asking me when I was coming to
see her and she also asked me do you
need some money for school
my mom had dimed me out like she always
does I told my grandmother no I don’t
need any money for school but I did go
and see her at nine o’clock one morning
and we watched about 200 episodes of
FAMILY a few that’s what we do the whole
while I was trying to muster up the
courage to say mama let yes I do need
help paying for this last semester so at
around 11:30 that night I got up to go
and I said mama let thank you for
everything that you’ve done for me and I
must admit I do need help paying for
this last semester and she slowly looked
up at me don’t you a check she went into
her purse she pulled out her cheque
and she began to write my name and I
watched those hands that used to write
so smooth and cursive on my Christmas
cards but grandchildren’s Christmas
cards every year they didn’t like so
smooth anymore
I noticed the pain and the pressure she
wrote my name and I acknowledged her
sacrifice and my eyes welled up with
tears I said mama let thank you I will
pay you back she slowly pulled the check
out of the checkbook and she said just
finish I headed back to College Station
for my final semester at Texas A&M every
morning I would point at Reid arena
thankful to a connection would through
the band I found a place to live
slowly that voice that told me that I
would not graduate began to fade a bit
and on December 16 2016 my dream came to
life as I found myself kneeling down at
the edge of my bed on the day of my
graduation and I heard the sweetest
sound Dustin Gerard Kemp 13 years after
I entered Texas A&M University I was a
college graduate I got in the car with
my mother my grandmother and my sister
and I looked back at them and I admitted
to them I didn’t think I was going to
make it and my grandmother sitting in
the backseat
Smart’s and she said I always knew you
see life is not about the people that
said you couldn’t make it it’s about the
people who have been there with you
every step of the way my grandmother
knew that I could make it and it’s
because of these connections that I’m
here today my mother
Micheline burgers dr. Daniel Harris dr.
Corliss Utley dr. Asha Braun I’m so
grateful for their lights in my life
we Boone – I am because we are I am
because they are and because of them
I’ve dedicated my life to being the me
that I needed when I was at Texas A&M
and so this is to them this is to my
grandmother’s who are the strongest
women that I know this is for my mother
and father who lost everything that they
had recovered they had a house built for
their children this is for those hungry
nights those homeless nights this is for
that creamy chicken ramen noodles that
was didn’t taste all that good this is
for a philosophy 240 with two of the
greatest people that I think I’ll ever
meet this is for a couple that met me at
a March a doctor mother of the King
March and took me in as their son this
is for that professor that told me to
keep going this is for that mentor that
reminded me to trust myself this is for
those nights of depression in Austin
Texas ride with my friend Josh
harmonizing and him always letting me be
Beyonce this is for the seven dollars
that made the difference in me
registering for my first classes because
of arborlon
this is because of my family and for my
family for my brother and sister who
look at me of the rock star understand
that in this life progress is a process
and everyone’s process is completely
different and you must trust the process
and understand that life is going to
send challenges your way and you’re
gonna have to weigh in the waters you
have to weather the storm and storms
will come but we must learn to play in
the rain
my band had a song that was a message
and I would get emails from all over the
world that we know let you down knows I
won’t let you down no life won’t let you
down no life won’t let you down
no life won’t let you down no life won’t
let you down
no life won’t let you down no life won’t
let you down you see grits grit is about
squaring your shoulders looking your
opponent in the eye not being not
running away you might be a little
afraid but you stand there you plant
your feet good is about waiting those
waters but also being able to pull
someone else up and help them to wait
with you you might even have to carry
them on your back I’m so grateful for
the people in my life the connectors who
make me who I am today again and Boone
to be I am because they are one thing
that I’ve learned you always each of
goods no matter how hot they are thank you
of a time when I was nine years old I
was sitting on the couch in my parents
of living room Dodd’s ray is shining
through a big window behind me
and in my lap was this huge flimsy
styrofoam plate filled to the brim with
one of my mama’s famous breakfasts on
that plate was bacon eggs toast so
better that you could see clear through
to the other side and my absolute
favorite grits with sugar on this
particular day I don’t know why but I
was extremely tired and I fell asleep
and I woke up to what I can only imagine
hot lava feels like running down my legs
so I did what any self-respecting nine
year old boy would do I cry for my mama
my mama rushed there said that’s the
baby what’s wrong and all I could muster
up was the the grits she looked at the
grits running down my legs and the grits
on her new couch and that look of
anguish on her face turned to a look of
disdain finish her breakfast and she
walked back to her room now I don’t know
what hurt most the fact that I had grits
running down my legs or the fact that my
mom really didn’t care see all my momma
cared about was that I finished my
breakfast in the fall of 2003 I entered
Texas A&M as a music major I loved music
that was my passion I think I joined
almost every singing organization I
could on campus I was doing more singing
than studying and so I I was kicked out
of the music department I was in between
majors for a while
and then I became an anthropology major
and then I became an English major
and then I became a sociology major and
I stayed there for a little bit because
I really like sociology I was travelling
back and forth between College Station
and Austin Texas performing with a band
and it began to wear on me I would gas
up that 1998 emerald green Honda Civic
her name was faith
I called her faith because I had to have
faith that she would start I had to have
faith that she wouldn’t die on the side
of the road and I had to have faith that
she wouldn’t overheat so me and faith
ride down to 90
she Alba fell apart and so did I I
wasn’t studying so I was kicked out of
the sociology department I went to an
advisor to see what the next step would
be because I did want to finish and they
both looked at my transcript and he
looked at me and he said I’m sorry mr.
Kemp
you will not graduate from Texas A&M
University now clearly we didn’t speak
the same language because I didn’t
understand the word that he said all I
knew is that I wanted to finish school
so then I became an agricultural
leadership and development major I was
doing a little bit better but I was
still traveling back and forth between
Austin and College Station Austin
College Station and after failing my
last horticulture exam I called my good
friend and bandmate Ross Falcon I said
come get me man I’m done but he didn’t
ask questions
we just powered up that 2000 to midnight
blue Toyota Corolla and I hit Austin
Texas and I never looked back now what
living in Austin Texas was extremely
difficult for me
all of my band mates had college degrees
and I didn’t am haunted my dreams I had
this reoccurring dream of myself
kneeling on the edge of my bed in front
of a window my cap and gown on the day
of graduation but I knew that that dream
couldn’t mean anything because that
voice in the back
my head said you will not graduate from
Texas A&M so the band played on we were
fairly successful shows recorded albums
music videos we had two songs on hit TV
shows Nashville and the Fosters but it
wasn’t enough for me I mean when I tell
you am haunted me everywhere I was went
and I’m shirt there were decals and
bumper stickers and every baby had am
onesie on and every dog I’m telling
y’all looks like revelry it haunted my
life I thought about the possibility of
going back but I kept hearing that that
voice in the back of my head you will
not graduate from Texas A&M I talked to
my band mates about the possibility of
going back to school and that
conversation didn’t go over so well so I
called my mama and my mom said Dustin
you just need to take a step out on
faith I said my car – no not your car
just trust in God’s plan now living in
Austin battling depression I didn’t
really know what I believed anymore but
I believe that my mama had a direct
connect to God so I attended to trust
and what she said I wanted to go back to
school Wednesday December 31st 2014 a
day that I would never forget I was
sitting on my mama’s couch I had strep
throat hurt like hell and I could barely
swallow I got an email from one of my
band mates saying that the band was done
and that we needed to move in a new
direction if you could imagine that’s a
hard thing to swallow as well i sat
there on that couch and I cried because
I didn’t have a college degree and
everything that I’d worked so hard for
was being taken away from me my mother
walked in and she said now you know what
at that point I didn’t know if it was
even a possibility so I called the a
life department at Texas A&M and I spoke
to a miss Charlene bagus I told him my
story she looked at my transcript she
said why didn’t you finish you were so
close I told her about my fears about
reapplying and she said just reapply so
I did and that waited months later I
received a letter from Texas A&M
congratulating me on being readmitted I
didn’t think that what happened if you
see my transcript so in the back of my
mind you will not graduate from Texas
A&M it was still a fear but I knew that
I had to move forward in the fall of
2015
i gassed up that midnight blue Toyota
Corolla the Sam Corolla that took me
away from Texas A&M I was driving back I
hit the College Station City Limits with
about half a tank of gas $99 I don’t
have a job I don’t know where I was
gonna live but I registered for those
classes I found my mentor dr. Danielle
Harris I hadn’t seen her in years she
embraced me and then gently pushed me
away and she gave me a look that only
dr. Daniel Harris can give you and she
said are you ready to finish we walked
around the building brainstorming ways
to work places to live and we ran into
dr. Corliss out Lee and before dr.
Harris could introduce me dr. I only
said Dustin Kemp dr. Harris asked her if
there was if she had a position for me
dr. Khatri looked at me and she said if
I hire you are you gonna finish and then
she took me to meet dr. Asha Brown and I
was hired as their student worker now
when I felt like I was wearing out my
welcome my friends couches
I would find a random apartment complex
parking lot and I was sleeping my car
most nights that first semester I did
sleep in my car I came into work
sluggish one day and dr. Brown asked me
wait where do you stay and when I told
her she said no come stay with me don’t
worry just finish I finished that first
year at Texas A&M with one semester left
dr. Brown graduated and I didn’t have a
plan on what to do next and I couldn’t
afford my last semester I heard that
voice in the back of my head again you
will not graduate from Texas A&M I could
remember walking around what I thought
was the whole city of College Station
too afraid to ask my parents to come and
pick me up was not I won’t forget I
slept on the steps of the administration
building I woke up with the Sun and I
finally gathered the courage to call my
dad and ask him to come and pick me up I
went home that summer defeated that
voice still in my head my grandmother
called me asking me when I was coming to
see her and she also asked me do you
need some money for school
my mom had dimed me out like she always
does I told my grandmother no I don’t
need any money for school but I did go
and see her at nine o’clock one morning
and we watched about 200 episodes of
FAMILY a few that’s what we do the whole
while I was trying to muster up the
courage to say mama let yes I do need
help paying for this last semester so at
around 11:30 that night I got up to go
and I said mama let thank you for
everything that you’ve done for me and I
must admit I do need help paying for
this last semester and she slowly looked
up at me don’t you a check she went into
her purse she pulled out her cheque
and she began to write my name and I
watched those hands that used to write
so smooth and cursive on my Christmas
cards but grandchildren’s Christmas
cards every year they didn’t like so
smooth anymore
I noticed the pain and the pressure she
wrote my name and I acknowledged her
sacrifice and my eyes welled up with
tears I said mama let thank you I will
pay you back she slowly pulled the check
out of the checkbook and she said just
finish I headed back to College Station
for my final semester at Texas A&M every
morning I would point at Reid arena
thankful to a connection would through
the band I found a place to live
slowly that voice that told me that I
would not graduate began to fade a bit
and on December 16 2016 my dream came to
life as I found myself kneeling down at
the edge of my bed on the day of my
graduation and I heard the sweetest
sound Dustin Gerard Kemp 13 years after
I entered Texas A&M University I was a
college graduate I got in the car with
my mother my grandmother and my sister
and I looked back at them and I admitted
to them I didn’t think I was going to
make it and my grandmother sitting in
the backseat
Smart’s and she said I always knew you
see life is not about the people that
said you couldn’t make it it’s about the
people who have been there with you
every step of the way my grandmother
knew that I could make it and it’s
because of these connections that I’m
here today my mother
Micheline burgers dr. Daniel Harris dr.
Corliss Utley dr. Asha Braun I’m so
grateful for their lights in my life
we Boone – I am because we are I am
because they are and because of them
I’ve dedicated my life to being the me
that I needed when I was at Texas A&M
and so this is to them this is to my
grandmother’s who are the strongest
women that I know this is for my mother
and father who lost everything that they
had recovered they had a house built for
their children this is for those hungry
nights those homeless nights this is for
that creamy chicken ramen noodles that
was didn’t taste all that good this is
for a philosophy 240 with two of the
greatest people that I think I’ll ever
meet this is for a couple that met me at
a March a doctor mother of the King
March and took me in as their son this
is for that professor that told me to
keep going this is for that mentor that
reminded me to trust myself this is for
those nights of depression in Austin
Texas ride with my friend Josh
harmonizing and him always letting me be
Beyonce this is for the seven dollars
that made the difference in me
registering for my first classes because
of arborlon
this is because of my family and for my
family for my brother and sister who
look at me of the rock star understand
that in this life progress is a process
and everyone’s process is completely
different and you must trust the process
and understand that life is going to
send challenges your way and you’re
gonna have to weigh in the waters you
have to weather the storm and storms
will come but we must learn to play in
the rain
my band had a song that was a message
and I would get emails from all over the
world that we know let you down knows I
won’t let you down no life won’t let you
down no life won’t let you down
no life won’t let you down no life won’t
let you down
no life won’t let you down no life won’t
let you down you see grits grit is about
squaring your shoulders looking your
opponent in the eye not being not
running away you might be a little
afraid but you stand there you plant
your feet good is about waiting those
waters but also being able to pull
someone else up and help them to wait
with you you might even have to carry
them on your back I’m so grateful for
the people in my life the connectors who
make me who I am today again and Boone
to be I am because they are one thing
that I’ve learned you always each of
goods no matter how hot they are thank you
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