I started at UVU in the concurrent enrollment high school program. Trying to get through high school was hard because I have a hearing impairment. I am not completely deaf, but I struggle to hear everything that people say. Often times in my early education, the teacher would talk as they faced the board, meaning that I had no idea what they were saying. In 2011, when I was in high school, my school didn’t have the ability to use subtitles for videos, lessons, or any other media presentation, meaning that I often felt like I was missing a large part of the lesson.

Later in high school, the teachers gave me the option to come to UVU through concurrent enrollment because they had a large accessibility services program that could help me succeed. I finished the concurrent enrollment classes without being sure of what the next steps were. I was told by some people at my high school about the Utah Vocational Rehab Program, a program they told me would help me to get through college. I decided to apply for this program when I finished high school. I had to go in and take a lot of testing on my hearing ability. When I had finished the tests and the state had analyzed the results, they told me that I had a moderate to severe hearing impairment. They told me, however, that they wanted me to succeed in the workforce. They convinced me that I could succeed in college if I put my mind to it and worked hard. They told me that college would really help me to get a good job in my future. They offered to pay for me to go to school, so I decided that I would go for it.

I loved everything about UVU, and I was excited to continue my education here. The accessibility services people would follow me to class and type everything that happened in class, and then they’d send it to me afterward — so if I missed something, I had the notes that I could refer back to. I loved the way the school is designed, I feel comfortable here. I started by doing a B.S. in biochemistry because I loved studying science and was pretty good at it too. I eventually changed it to a B.S. in exercise science because I decided I was passionate about helping people and I loved to exercise. I was planning on getting my degree as fast as I could so that I could start working, but life got in the way.

I got married and quickly found out that I was pregnant as well. I was almost done with enough credits to get my associate degree, but I was one class away. I failed my last math class that year because I found out I was pregnant halfway through the year, and the class I was supposed to go to was held at 7 a.m. Life got complicated and messy, and my teacher said I just did not know the material well enough.

This was hard for me. I had worked so hard to get where I was, and I got my hope for a degree shut down by that one class. The last three years, I have been one class away from an associate degree. Though this was hard for me, all my hope was not gone. I decided that I still wanted a degree because that is what success looks like to me, and by earning it I would have a sense of fulfillment. I also decided that a degree would still be good to have so I could be prepared for whatever life threw at me.

With this newfound sense of purpose, I continued toward my goal, but life evolved and got even more complicated. I still had to balance my part-time work at Costco, with a brand-new baby. When I thought I finally learned how to manage everything in my life, I ended up with my brother’s three kids when my baby was just 3 months old. He had a set of twins that were also 3 months old and another child that was a little older. What a curveball life had tossed at me this time. Not only was I trying to manage a part-time job, but I also had to learn how to be the mother of four children under 4 years old. During this time, I also took on part-time work using the beginnings of my degree to teach classes and train employees at Young Living.

I had a million reasons to call it quits on my education, and sometimes I still think that I could call it quits. What I want, though, is to feel the sense of fulfillment that comes from completing my education. I want that feeling so bad. I know that I will have better things in my future because of this choice I’ve made. Today, I am back at UVU to finish my last math class to get my associate degree.

That is what I love about this university. They have allowed me to come and go with my life at my own pace, and still be able to get my degree. I have been at this school since 2011, but it doesn’t matter because everything I’ve done is there and still counts. It does not matter if you are just starting as a first-year student in college or if you are 60 years old, you can always come and further your education here at this place. I love the programs that the school offers, the accessibility people that help me with my disability, and the comfort level that I feel here.

There was a point in my life when I was a personal trainer for Young Living, a part-time employee at Costco, a mother of four children under 4 years old, and a student at Utah Valley University, but it doesn’t matter my situation — Utah Valley University was always there for me. From the accessibility services people that follow me to classes to fellow students with similar disabilities that help me push forward, everywhere I go there are so many people that support me. UVU is the place for me.