Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 7-23-21

Feature
Prayers, Family Support Helped Mom Of 3 Hold Job, Go To School Full Time
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Ms. LaToya Neal earned a college degree and was promoted on her job.
“Congratulations on your graduation and pro- motion!” Those are the words of the parents (grandparents) of LaToya Neal, Lensy and Delores Hardy, both of whom are very proud of her.
This spring into summer has been good to Ms. Neal, but she credits God, prayers and family support as she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Manage- ment from St. Leo Univer- sity. After a brief break, she plans to pursue a Master’s Degree.
While earning her de- gree, she also learned that she had been promoted to Supervisor with Walmart, working in the Brandon store, where on July 30th,
LATOYA NEAL
she will have been there 3 years.
Ms. Neal, the divorced mother of three daughters (17, 11, and 3) – Jaide, Ja- zlyn, and Tiffany -- says it was not easy, juggling work, school, parenting, especially during the pandemic. Al- though she worked at night, that meant she got less sleep during the day – having to do her class assignments, and assist the kids with vir- tual learning. And, there were days where a shift at
work consisted of no less than 12 hours.
“My parents were a big factor in my getting through those times. They were there for us. All of the prayers from family and friends kept me balanced and focused on my goals.”
To recognize her accom- plishments, a surprise cele- bration was held for Ms. Neal at her parents’ home.
When there’s free time, Ms. Neal says she enjoys spending it with family.
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