It is a special day for thousands of college students across the state, who are celebrating their graduation. But for one it is extra special.

26-year-old Tunette Powell was a University of Nebraska-Omaha student who's excelled while overcoming the odds. Saturday morning she graduated from the UNO School of Communication, and is the 1st female in her family to graduate from college. She moved to Nebraska from Texas with her husband, who's in the Air Force, and says she finally found a home at UNO.

“To graduate it will be sad, happy, a humbling experience, and it will also be turning a next page for me and I'm excited about that," Powell explained.

Her journey has been anything but easy. Her father was addicted to Crack Cocaine before she was even born, and she was kicked out of school in her younger years.

In college, Tunette became the first national champion from UNO at the nation's oldest speech contest. She spoke about the criminalization of addiction and how it affected her life. Now she wants to be a motivational speaker for at-risk youth, and kids that have been abused.

“For me (graduating) will be showing everyone that you can turn your tests into testimonies," Powell concluded.