CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
Juggling the important responsibilities of her job as COVID-19 Operations Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for the 111th Engineering “Black Diamond” Brigade keeps West Virginia National Guard Sgt. Khadidja Diouf busy while she’s deployed overseas.
But Diouf, who graduated from West Virginia University in May with an accounting degree, doesn’t let her military responsibilities stop her from continually working toward personal goals on her off time--specifically, admission to law school.
To be accepted into law school, Diouf must first take and pass the rigorous Law School Admission Test, or LSAT. Studying for the exam takes time and dedication which can be challenging, especially when deployed. Diouf credits her college’s professors and WVNG leadership with helping her achieve her academic goals.
“My college professors and my leadership in the WVNG have always been very accommodating and incredibly supportive,” she explained. “This is my second deployment overseas since beginning college. During my first deployment and other military responsibilities, my professors at WVU were always willing to let me reschedule as needed so that I was able to fulfill my obligations. It sometimes would be challenging to balance the two, but I made sure to stay focused and driven to accomplish my goals.”
Diouf said being proactive played a key part in helping her meet her academic goals and obligations, although staying connected while serving overseas can be a bit of a challenge.
“Power outages were a big issue during my first deployment,” Diouf said. “If there’s no power, there’s no Internet, and it seemed like we always had a power outage when I had a quiz or exam due. Because I was proactive and had my professors’ numbers saved in my phone, I was able to call and explain what was going on and they were able to work with me.”
Diouf’s military career has had some other unique impacts on her academic achievements.
Like other college students, she was looking forward to completing her bachelor’s degree in May and celebrating graduation with the rest of her classmates. But when her duties overseas forced her to miss graduation in Morgantown, her unit leaders held a ceremony to help honor her achievement, complete with decorations and even a mock diploma.
“The support and kind words that I received from my unit meant a lot and I could definitely feel the love and support at that moment,” Diouf said.
Diouf has felt supported in other ways as well. The educational benefits offered through the West Virginia National Guard covered the cost of her degree, meaning she could focus on meeting and maintaining academic standards.
“The WVNG paying my full tuition at WVU allowed me to focus on my studies and not have to worry about staying afloat,” she said. “Seeing how much stress my peers deal with because of finances really made me appreciate how much the Guard offers.”
Although she just completed her undergraduate degree, Diouf is already looking ahead to law school graduation. She wants to use her degree--and military experience--to become a defense attorney and work to change the legal system.
“I want to see something different within our justice system, so I have to do something different or else nothing will change,” she said. “My military experience has taught me resiliency and I think that I can use that in the legal field as well. The Army is a living, breathing organization, as is the judicial system, and my military experience has taught me that I must be able to adapt and bounce back when faced with adversity.”
Once she passes the LSAT, Diouf hopes to be admitted to law school in Miami with the goal of beginning classes Fall 2022 semester.