Columbia Southern University student Megan Boggs has a passion for business and raising funds for local nonprofit organizations. She is an entrepreneur and the chief implementation officer for the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce.
Megan is also a motivational speaker, mentor and community leader; however, her life wasn’t always as inspiring as it is now.
“In my early 20s, I was trapped in a violent marriage with a young child,” she said. “[It was] a marriage where I dreamed of an education and a better life but was not ‘allowed’ to work or go to school.”
Eventually, Megan was able to leave the marriage safely with her young son, who was only 1-year-old at the time. During the drive from San Diego, California, to her hometown of Pensacola, Florida, with her young son and dog in tow, she promised herself that one day she would be a college graduate.
“What made me pursue my degree was that I always wanted to be in business, and I always had big aspirations and goals for myself,” she said. “When I met my ex-husband, I was in college and I had really great grades, and I was pursuing a business degree.”
With her past nearly in the rearview mirror, Megan used it to fuel her future.
A New Beginning
“One of the last things he said to me was ‘you’re nothing, you’re not educated, you’ll be nothing.’ And I just kind of laughed at that a little bit but also understood that it was up to me now to become something—to still chase my dreams,” she said.
While Megan still dreamed of earning a degree, the uncertainty of the future weighed heavy on her mind.
“I remember on that drive, looking at my baby in the backseat with the cash I had in the floorboard of my car, afraid that I would not be something and I would fail us, but I promised that sweet baby that one day I would get a degree and we would hang it on our wall, and we would be okay.”
After settling in Pensacola, Megan took a job waiting tables to provide stability for herself and her young son, which meant putting her dream of attending college on hold once more. Ultimately, she would fall in love, remarry and have another child.
Megan’s husband serves in the Marine Corps and is frequently deployed, so a traditional college setting was not feasible. She’s also the mother of two young children with a busy career, adding to the complexity of attending college.
Lo and behold, Megan decided to take the advice of a close friend, a CSU alum, who encouraged her to call CSU—a decision that ultimately made the dream of earning her degree a reality.
“It was one of the best calls I ever made,” she said.
A Long-Awaited Dream Achieved
Education was finally obtainable for the first time in a decade since Megan made that promise to herself. Through hard work, many long nights and determination, she received her associate degree in the mail.
“The moment I held the degree, I cried,” she said. “It was a moment that I wished I could tell that young, afraid mom, ‘we did it.’ I remember holding it, and I ran upstairs to my son and told him ‘I know you don’t remember…’ I was so proud to just be able to say, ‘I can hang my degree on the wall, and I did it.’”
Megan opted to find mentors along her journey and became a member of the Veteran Business Collective (VBC), a nonprofit organization that supports veterans and their families through networking opportunities.
She has taken on leadership and management roles while also serving as a motivational speaker, a mentor and a community leader. Her company raises critical funds for local nonprofits who are small grassroots organizations. She is also an inspirational speaker and advocate for domestic violence awareness and is passionate about supporting military spouse entrepreneurship.
“None of these successes are without the mentors, leaders, educators and community members supporting my journey,” she said. “I have gone on to work for nonprofit organizations that have touched hundreds of thousands of lives and helped raise millions upon millions of dollars all because somebody believed in me more than I believed in myself.”
Watch Me Win
Megan’s biggest passion is her family and serving her community. She has overcome many obstacles to be where she is today and often shares her past in inspirational speeches.
“I said to him, ‘watch me win.’ My speech is all about how that moment that I said, ‘watch me win.’ I put a suit of armor on myself that put a chip on my shoulder. He could’ve cared less what I did with my life. I needed to say, ‘watch me heal; watch me glow; watch me find peace.’”
Megan will continue her education with plans to graduate from CSU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management.
“My education was only possible with Columbia Southern University. The staff, professors and everyone involved made it possible. Thank you to all the mentors along my journey and those at CSU. CSU is not just a university; it’s a family that wants to see you succeed.”
For more information about Domestic Violence Awareness Month, recognized in October, visit dvawareness.org.
Disclaimer: These testimonials may not reflect the experience of all CSU students.
Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography, and degree field, affect career outcomes.
CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.
