How Ariana Reclaimed Her Future

For Ariana B., going back to school meant challenging the belief she’d long held about her own potential. Growing up in Malden, Massachusetts, Ariana was raised in a single-parent household where both of her parents struggled with addiction.

“I kind of grew up not the best,” she says.

After childhood, Ariana entered what she describes as “countless domestic violence relationships.” She never imagined herself pursuing a master’s degree.

“I never ever thought about getting a master’s. It was never something I thought about because I never thought I was smart enough.”

When Ariana eventually applied to the online Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Regis College, her admissions essay became a declaration of why she believed she belonged there. It wasn’t because of her grades, but because of the life she’d survived and her determination to help others.

“I basically wrote it about how I didn’t think I was smart enough to be here and how it’s not about smarts,” she says. “I just really want to be able to do more with clients and individuals who are struggling the same way I was.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology, Ariana’s career began in domestic violence agencies. “I started working at my first one back in 2017. That supervisor basically told me I was never going to be anything.”

Despite that setback, she began to make connections with her clients and think about her future.

“I started working for another organization called Harbor Cove,” she explains. “I worked for their shelter and their hotline, and I started to gain connections with clients. And I’m like — maybe this is something I’m good at.”

As she moved between jobs and cities, she found her way to a legal advocacy position. She enjoyed it, but wanted to do more for the people she interacted with.

“I felt like I had reached my top tier of how far I could go with the education that I had,” she says.

To go further, she knew she needed more education and the skills that came with it. Ariana had assumed her skill as a social worker came from shared experience, connecting with survivors because she was one. But this new role revealed something more.

“When I started to be able to connect with perpetrators and still did well, I was like, wait a second – this might be my niche.”

Ariana is the first person in her family to go to college, and now, the only one to pursue a master’s.

“My father never went to college. My mother never went to college. My father barely graduated high school.”

That makes her achievement even more meaningful.

“To be able to have this level of education provides me with handfuls of things like safety, support, comfort, the ability to really feel proud of myself.”

But most of all, education gives her independence and the ability to support herself and others — including children if she decides to have them one day. She remembers the hardship of her mother working multiple jobs and relying on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) to make ends meet.

“I don’t want that,” she says. “I don’t want my kids to have to experience what I experienced, and I want to give them more and give them better opportunities.”

When Ariana applied to Regis, she was attracted to the course structure and the people.

“I really loved their program and how slow and chill it was. I didn’t want to be rushed,” she says.

The first person she spoke to, a Regis advisor, helped her believe she belonged, despite her previous academic record.

“He was wonderful. He was so supportive… He’s like ‘that doesn’t matter. I can feel your passion’.”

That conversation gave her the push she needed to apply, and she put everything into her essay.

“So, when I did my application essay, I really poured my heart into it,” she says. “You could look at my scores and say this girl isn’t a good student, but during this time, I was in four abusive relationships. I was processing childhood trauma. School was the last thing on my mind, surviving was first. And now school can be first – let me show you what I can do.”

Part of her earlier academic struggle made more sense after she received a diagnosis – Ariana has ADHD. “Once I was able to meet with somebody and get assistance on that, it kind of just changed the whole world for me,” she says.

At Regis, she found the kind of learning environment that matched her needs.

“I love a small learning setting… I don’t like to be a number,” she shares. “They know you by name, and that’s something I really appreciate.”

That level of personal attention extended to how she was taught.

“They know your learning style,” she explains. “They remember little things about you that you do well or things that you might need to improve.”

Her professors didn’t just support her, they challenged her to rise higher.

“I really just enjoy people who push me to reach my highest potential,” she adds, “It’s always the encouragement. It’s never a put down and that’s what makes Regis different.”

For the first time in her life, Ariana says she’s thriving academically.

“Recently, I actually got inducted into the Honor Society, which was huge because that’s the top 10 percent of your class,” she says.

She still deals with feelings of imposter syndrome, struggles with time management between her classes and work, and difficulty with making decisions, but Ariana knows that she is meant to be at Regis.

“I just feel like I’ve been climbing this mountain for my whole life, and I finally feel like I’m reaching the peak to enjoy the view.”

Ariana’s advice to others is simple and powerful. “You can do it even when you think you can’t.”

And to cheer herself on, she frequently tells herself: “You got this. You can do this.”

Even in challenging moments — when a grade is disappointing, or a paper feels overwhelming — she keeps going.

For other students who might be momentarily doubting their ability, she offers the following advice:

“There’s a reason that you chose social work. There’s a reason. And you were accepted to Regis. Really hold on to that. And always remember you can do this.”

She says it again — like a mantra for anyone who needs it: “You got it. Even when you think you don’t, you got it. That’s like my number one. Like, you got it more than you think you do. There’s a reason. You have a purpose.”

If you want to learn more about Regis College and our offerings, check out our online master’s degrees, doctorate degrees, and certificate programs.