Fantasia Barrino-Taylor has won American Idol, starred on the hit Broadway show The Color Purple, and topped the charts, but now she’s going after her next goal—earning her business degree from the HBCU, Central State University.
Proving it’s never too old to go after your dreams, the 38-year-old said, “I’m a businesswoman now and I desire to continue to sharpen my sword and better my craft,” telling PEOPLE, “I want to break generational curses. When it comes to my family, my girls, my children, I want to show them that no matter what she’s been through, you can always get back and go after it again, and that’s what I am doing.”
It’s been more than a decade since Barrino earned her GED in 2010, but one thing the American Idol alum will not have to worry about is Greek like—she is already an honorary member of the Divine Nine’s Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, and she gave a special shout out to her sorors in her announcement, crediting her sisters for connecting her enrollment staff of the University.
Ultimately, Barrino hopes her decision to return to school is going to serve as a motivating factor for those who might be struggling to reach their goals, stating “I want to be the example, I want to use my platform, my social media, to show people — men, women, Black, white, young, old — that if you have a dream, it doesn’t have to have a timeline.”
“It doesn’t have to look a certain way and, in fact, looks better when it has a bunch of bruises and scars because that means you fought for it, Barrino emphasized, continuing “My grandmother used to tell me anything worth having is worth fighting for and I want other people to see that if you just stay in the ring, you’ll get to where you’re going.”
In closing, Barrino “teased a special appearance at Central State’s upcoming homecoming in October,” and you might find us all out in the yard trying to catch a glimpse of the superstar.