When Rahfi Williams first walked through the doors of Cape Fear Community College in 2013, life felt anything but steady.
Like many adult learners, his path wasn’t straightforward. He worked low-paying jobs, tried multiple times to finish school, and passed every part of the GED test except math. That single subject turned into an eight-year roadblock.
“Every time I came to sign up for school, I’d pass everything else, but I just couldn’t get through the math,” Rahfi explained. “I struggled with it for eight years until last year, when I knew it had to be this time. I have a daughter who’s disabled, and I just felt like I needed to do something better for myself and her. That’s when I decided to get tutoring.”
That tutor, Jordan, made all the difference. For months, they worked side by side until Rahfi finally felt ready.
“I was like, I think I’m ready to take my test. He asked if I was sure, and I said that if I keep going over this, I won’t know it anymore. I think I got it.”
Thirty minutes after taking the test, Rahfi got the results. He passed.
“It was just like the best day of my life because it’s something that I’d been struggling with for so long. It was an amazing feeling. And then once I saw that, it was just like up from there.”
CFCC’s Academic and Career Readiness faculty and staff never stopped cheering him on through all the setbacks and long breaks.
“I’ve been on and off with the people at CFCC for eight years, so they actually saw me grow, too, and they watched me struggle,” Rahfi said. “When I got it, everybody was excited because they were rooting for me for years.”
With his GED finally complete, Rahfi could use his certification in peer support to begin working in behavioral health. Now, he’s back at CFCC pursuing his associate degree, with plans to transfer to UNC-Wilmington to study psychology.
“I meet a lot of amazing people with amazing stories, and you never know what they go through. You never know how you can help them, even with your story.”
Looking back, Rahfi doesn’t shy away from his past challenges.
“I promise you, I was not an angel before,” he said with a small laugh. “I feel like a lot of things that I went through, I put myself through. And I had to get myself out. Now, being on a positive street, everything is falling into place for me. So I’d rather keep going this way than go the opposite way.”