UVU has it laid out for you; if you have a desire, they will help you fulfill that.
I grew up in Provo, Utah, and right after high school, I went straight to college. I didn't [have] a lot of motivation. I didn't understand the “why” of getting an education. I ended up getting suspended because I just never went to class and I never did my homework. So, I took a break. After a little break, I went back [to school]. But [after] I got married and got pregnant quickly, I dropped out. It's been about 15 years since I've been back in school. From the time I dropped out to now, I’ve had four children. After the birth of my fourth child, I suffered from extreme postpartum depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
[Over the span] of four years, I was in and out of behavior hospitals. I ended up at treatment in Arizona to process through a lot of trauma. I went away for 30 days, and while I was there, I was forced to take psychology classes. It turned out that the best part of my healing journey was learning how my brain worked. Understanding why I was the way I was, how our brain functions through trauma, and that I wasn't broken. I called my husband, and I just was expressing how much fun I was having in these classes and all the things I was learning, and he said, “Babe, I think you should go back to school; you're really enjoying this.”
Learning I'm not alone is where a lot of the healing began. I'm in the pageant world, and at times, you have to put on a show, if you will. People aren't talking about their struggles. People never thought that I was struggling. But we all have our struggles. I spoke up and said, "X, Y, and Z is happening to me. I'm struggling." And through that vulnerability, I found deep connections with others. It's through connection and sharing our struggles that we find healing. We find the beauty on the other side of pain. We're not meant to suffer alone in silence. We are meant to have joy and companionship.
I started a mental health platform where I started sharing my story. So many women were saying, “Oh my gosh, me too.” It's beautiful when people share their stories. I was enjoying being involved in the mental health community and helping others. But whenever these women would open up to me to help them, I didn’t feel entirely effective. Being in treatment, I learned there's a certain terminology to learn, and there's a way to be effective [as a therapist]. While I was making an impact, I knew I could make a bigger impact if I [pursued] a proper education. Eventually, I decided I was done referring people out to resources. I wanted to be the person who helps them. I found my purpose.
I never saw myself getting a bachelor's degree. [Back when I was] at treatment, my therapist actually sat me down and said, “McKenna, I feel strongly that you're supposed to go back to school.” My therapist explained how she got her bachelor’s and master’s, and I thought, “I bet I could do that.”
The first thing I did was apply back to UVU. I even remembered my student ID number. I don't even remember my kids’ names some days, but I remembered my UVUID. I talked to my counselor, Cindy Lau — she is fabulous — and she walked me through everything. I remember getting so emotional. “Am I really going back to school? I can get my bachelor’s, my master's, and I can be a certified therapist?” I thought it was unreachable. [Cindy] told me, “You can do this. We are going to do this, and here's the plan.”
I got asked to be on the executive board of a company. It's called Extraordinary Options for Extraordinary People. I really don't think I would have been asked If I wasn't working towards [my education]. Right now, they're creating an app to connect readily available health insurance therapists with individuals, but they also recognize local mental health care facilities [through] awards, banquets, and fundraising events.
At my first board meeting, I thought, "This is what's really cool about getting an education. The more we know, the better we can do and the better we can be." When we work so hard to get an education and make a name for ourselves, it opens so many doors. Before, I was ungrateful, and I didn't realize that it was such a privilege to go to school. But [now], I'm filled with gratitude, appreciation, and purpose. I understand that it's a privilege. Education and knowledge are the only things we get to take with us when we die. I understand that it's hard to go to school and takes away from work, but it's worth it.
I believe UVU is a place for me. When I say me, I [mean] everybody saying it for themselves because UVU is a place for anybody willing to get an education. UVU has it laid out for you; if you have a desire, they will help you fulfill that.
Links
