'Time will pass anyway': UT graduate reflects on returning to school

Johnson City native Lindsey Grindstaff is graduating from the University of Tennessee Knoxville with a master's degree in social work after returning to school later in life and overcoming academic struggles. Grindstaff, 32, said she was not a strong student in high school and often struggled to focus in class before later receiving a formal attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. "In high school, I was not the best student," she said. "I actually had really bad undiagnosed ADHD, so I wasn't able to focus a lot. That resulted in me failing a few classes." Grindstaff said she found new confidence in her academic abilities after the diagnosis and found new ways to improve her focus. As a result, she said she reached a milestone she never expected. "At one point, my GPA hit a 4.0 and I had never experienced that before," she said. "That was the biggest thing for me." She said maintaining strong grades also helped her work through feelings of imposter syndrome during college and graduate school. Grindstaff completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies through UT, moving to California in the process where her husband relocated for work. She said her father played a major role in encouraging her to pursue social work. Grindstaff said she originally planned to go into nursing before realizing social work aligned more closely with her dreams. "He was my biggest influence with that," she said. "I just kind of always wanted to be in some sort of helping position." During her undergraduate studies, Grindstaff also completed an internship with Ballad Health as a community health navigator, an experience she said strengthened her interest in medical social work. Now graduating, Grindstaff said she hopes to work in medical social work in a hospital setting or pursue travel social work opportunities. She also plans to begin working toward becoming a licensed clinical social worker with the long-term goal of entering private practice. Looking back on her journey, Grindstaff said she hopes others considering returning to school later in life will not let age discourage them. "The time is going to pass anyway, so you might as well do it," she said. "That is what has kept me going this whole time."