Chanell J. Wilson: Divine Delays

A few years ago, this bright, energetic and talented singer/songwriter put her dreams on hold to help take care of her family. Chanell J. Wilson, one of my former students at Diablo Valley College (DVC), is celebrating her graduation from DVC with a Certificate in Recording Arts. Chanell, thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on your graduation!

"In April 2002, I withdrew from San Francisco State University (SFSU) to care for my family while my mother recovered from her recent brain tumor removal. My family included my grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s Dementia, and my three younger sisters. For the next three years, I remained home full time and volunteered as a clergy minister at my church. After my grandmother’s passing in 2003, my family and I took some time out for ourselves and moved in with my aunt who lived in the city of Folsom, California.

I spent the entire summer in Folsom locked away in my cousin’s room doing the one thing I loved to do as a child — writing songs and short stories. On a whim, I decided to record my ideas “analog style” to a tape recorder and then sing on top of that play back into my computer to create an over dub effect. The tapes did not have a quality sound, however, my songs had great potential. I played a couple of my ideas for my family. My aunt listened in and said, 'Chanell, you should research classes that can teach you how to record your ideas. This is really good.'

I had already given up on any further education, yet I liked the idea of learning about a subject that I actually enjoyed. I did some research and learned about Diablo Valley College through a friend. I enrolled immediately and began taking classes that were geared for singers, songwriters, and composers. Being in a music environment gave me full permission to pursue my music as a career. For the next two years I lived, ate, and slept my program. I started off commuting almost 2 hours a day on bus and BART from Oakland to Concord, and in my last semester (at age 26), I finally moved out and got my own apartment located just five minutes away from the school.

In the beginning of my last semester, I petitioned for my certificate but decided that I was not going to walk with my class because I did not feel that my certificate of accomplishment was worth “the fuss of a graduation.” After speaking with several people and looking back on how I'd gotten to this place, I realized getting this certificate was definitely an accomplishment worth celebrating. And on May 25, 2007, I graduated and walked full of joy and smiles with my class.

When I left SFSU, I thought I had missed my window to pursue my career as an entertainer. But by coming home and honoring my family, I gained an experience that lead me closer to the path that I wanted to be on. My “formal education” may have been delayed but through that delay I gained a new story to tell and a brand new song to sing. So if you are experiencing a delay and things are not going the way you planned, know that this delay is divine and it is positioning you onto the path that your heart already desires to be on."
—Chanell J. Wilson