Having faith that things will just work out has helped lead Tyra Vivians to today’s accomplishment: earning her bachelor’s in business, with a minor in marketing from Indiana University Northwest.
Tyra would be the first to remind all that life is hard and complicated, but with an open-mind, a great sense of determination and a never give-up attitude, anything is—and can be—possible.
Shortly after graduating high school, Tyra started at IU Northwest. Her 15-minute walking commute to campus, either for class or her work-study job, was manageable, even under less-than-ideal weather conditions. No amount of rain, sleet, or snow, was a match for her persistence.
But just as the weather changes, so does life, and soon Tyra found herself no longer living a few blocks from campus, but more than 25 miles away in Park Forest, Illinois.
“With no transportation available to me, and walking out of the picture, I was still determined to find a way,” Vivians said. “I was not giving up.”
And, she did find a way, thanks to Uber.
“But as you can imagine, the $40 one-way trip soon became pretty expensive,” Vivians added. “So, here I was again, faced with another life-altering decision: go further into debt, or quit IU Northwest.”
Not sure what to do next, Vivians entrusted her story with several at IU Northwest. Doing so, helped her in ways she never could have imagined.
“After I shared my story, I learned that I qualified for the IU Northwest Student Emergency Fund. This meant I was awarded the funds to continue my schooling at IU Northwest.” Vivians said. “Due to the support I received, I was eventually able to save enough money to move back to Gary, eliminating my long and expensive commute.”
Vivians is thankful for all those who believed in her, and helped her reach her ultimate goal: to earn her college diploma.
She says, however, that the kindness and generosity she received as a student will not be lost on her.
“I would love to be able to one day pay it forward to help out future students, just as I was helped, so that they can also experience all that life has to offer.”