That’s what one student is doing after she lost both of her parents during her time in college. Sequoia Smith, who will be graduating this spring from Lamar University took to Instagram to share her story.

“Seems like weeks, months even years passed by and it didn’t seem real that my parents were gone. Sometimes, it still doesn’t," Smith captioned in a post featuring a picture of her with her cap and blown up pictures of her parents. “I felt so numb and detached from the world.”

The 25-year-old, according to Yahoo, lost her father to sickle cell anemia shortly after graduating high school. It’s something she mourned for a long time with her mother, who would two years later succumb to cervical cancer not long after the young woman received her associate’s degree.

Smith’s post, during which she admitted to considering ending her educational journey at one point seemed to really touch people. It went viral and garnered her a lot of attention.

“I honestly didn’t anticipate for this to happen,” she told the website. “I wanted my post to get to someone who has experienced what I have to enlighten them. … It just blew up. The amount of messages and comments I’m getting from so many incredible people is well worth me sharing.”

Sequoia Smith also says that it’s been tough up until this point, especially since her loss still affects her to this day.

“Not having anyone to call or talk to at times,” she wrote in her IG caption. “Having to work ridiculous hours to make sure I had bare necessities. Keeping a smile on my face to keep from crying.

“Stay focused and pray every single day, even when things are going well,” she continues. “Surround yourself with people who will uplift you! People who will pray for you without knowing the demons you’re battling. You will need them & whether you know it or not, they will need you."