going hard, working to provide for our family, so I’ve always seen her drive.”
The rapper has had no shortage of death and setbacks in her life, but that is precisely why her words of encouragement have resonated with her fans, especially those in college as well.
“I’ve always seen everybody in my life be independent,” she recalls. “My daddy passed away when I was 15, so my mama was still going hard taking care of us. If we were going through money problems, my mother and my two [maternal] grandmothers always made sure I didn’t know. We could’ve been struggling, but they made it work. I’ve always seen strong women making it work, so I’ve always wanted to have that same drive the women in my family have. I know I get a lot of my strength from my mother and both of my grandmothers.”
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It was that same mentality of hard work and independence that Megan used to juggle school and her rising rap career. The rapper recalls finishing her schoolwork on the way to a show, after a show or even getting it done in the morning so that she could be a rapper at night.
“If I am somebody’s role model, I want them to take away that you can still go to school, you can still pursue your dreams and you should still be you, no matter what the circumstances are,” Megan shares. “If that’s what they’re taking away from me, then I feel like I’m doing a good job.”
With this degree, Megan, who has dominated the typically male-dominated rap industry, could do the same thing in the healthcare industry and make change for the many Black women that often get shut out of these roles. According to a study from the Leverage Network, an organization that promotes Black leadership, people of color make up only 13 percent of healthcare boards. Black women only make up 3 percent.
It’s no question that the superstar will achieve success on and off the mic. Upon graduating Megan already has big plans to help her classmates land their first job post-graduation.
“I really wanted to be an administrator over a hospital, but I knew I still wanted to be Megan Thee Stallion. I was like, ‘What can I do?'” she told PEOPLE in June 2020. “I was like, ‘You know what, I’m gonna open an assisted-living facility and use the money that I make from rapping to open it. Then I’m gonna let my classmates run it.”