- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to honor student who died of cancer with posthumous degree

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 16:06:37 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will honor a Benton student who passed away from cancer last year with a posthumous business degree during the university’s fall commencement ceremony on Dec. 14.�� Tandie Kenser, 51, of Benton passed away Aug. 24, 2018. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock senior was only 23 credits shy of completing her dream of graduating from college. Kenser’s mother, Gennie Adair, will travel from her home in Vancouver, Canada, to receive her daughter’s degree. “I feel very honored to get her degree, and Tandie would be too,” Adair said. “It’s wonderful that the university is doing this for her. She had one more year to go, and I really thought she would live long enough. I used to pray that she would live long enough to walk down that stage, but she just didn’t make it.” When Kenser was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2011, her doctors told her she only had a few years left to live. Kenser considered how she wanted to spend her final years and decided to rectify her only regret: never earning a college degree. “There’s so many people who think they are too old or it’s too late, but it’s not,” Kenser said in a 2018 interview. “I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I love walking on campus. I like every professor I’ve had. It’s brought me joy.” In 2015, Kenser joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with the goal of earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in business analytics. With no time to waste, she immediately signed up for 18 credit hours. Shannon Gwinn, director of Student and Career Services in the College of Business, advised her to start with nine credit hours, a well-intentioned suggestion that was immediately rebuked. “She pointed her finger at me, and said, ‘Not only am I going to take 18 hours, I’m going to make a 4.0,’” Gwinn recalled, adding that it was the start of a beautiful friendship.�� “Tandie would be thrilled and honored to receive her degree,” Gwinn said. “It was her ‘bucket list,’ and she knew she didn’t have much time to earn her degree. Life threw a lot to Tandie, and she overcame it all except for cancer. I can only imagine the party she would be throwing for her family and friends to celebrate this.” Kenser did get the opportunity to celebrate her educational achievements. She completed 90 of the 120 credit hours she needed to graduate and was taking two additional classes when she entered hospice care on June 14, 2018. “She called me every single day,” Adair said. “She had never complained until the last phone call when she was taking summer classes. She called me and said, ‘I don’t know what I’ve read.’ She was so sad that she couldn’t comprehend what she read. That was the beginning of the end.” Instead of a funeral, Kenser told her family she wanted a party to celebrate life. The celebration, which included a mock graduation, was held June 30, 2018, at the home of Kenser’s daughter, Jessie Wright, in Bismarck, Arkansas, with faculty, staff, and classmates from the College of Business in attendance. Dean Jane Wayland recalls how excited Kenser was to wear a graduation cap and gown that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Campus Bookstore gave her as a gift. “Tandie was an incredible woman,” Wayland said. “She embraced learning all she could even during the most difficult times during her illness. She participated fully in all the opportunities of the college and encouraged her fellow students. She made friends easily and instilled joy to all around her.” During her college career, Kenser strived to be the best. She maintained a 4.0 GPA, all while serving as ambassador for the College of Business who constantly hosted study sessions for her classmates.

Tandie Kenser (seated) and her mother, Gennie Adair (center) visit Cindy Wallace (left) and Shannon Gwinn (right) in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business. Photo by Ben Krain.

“Tandie was simply amazing in so many ways,” Gwinn said. “She formed study groups with other students for almost every class she was in. She never gave a student an answer, but brought them along in the journey of learning how to achieve the answer. She was responsible for bringing the Reality Fair to our college.” Similar to the Game of Life board game, participants in a Reality Fair choose a career with a salary. They go to stations to make selections for housing, transportation, insurance, healthcare, and then must make a balanced budget. “We have continued to do the Reality Fair and have expanded it to high schools,” Gwinn said. “We went to Hall High School this semester, and it was well received from the students. That is because of Tandie and her passion for financial literacy.” Adair recalled a time when her daughter had undergone eight hours of chemotherapy and insisted that she be taken directly to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock afterward so that she could attend an extra-credit lecture about earthquakes. “She always wanted to keep that 4.0,” Adair said. “She felt she would let me down if she got less than 100 percent. I told her that was garbage. She could never let me down. The one thing I can say about going to the university is that she absolutely loved it. I really believe this is what kept her alive long past her expected survival. She only had a 25 percent chance of living two years, and she lived seven years and a month.” Last year, Adair started a scholarship in her daughter’s name to benefit non-traditional students attending the College of Business, and she is looking forward to meeting the first recipient of the scholarship during her trip to Arkansas. Adair and Kenser, who were both working single mothers during their lives, wanted to help single parents who are going to college. “I would say to younger students that it’s never too late to do what you want,” Adair said. “I didn’t go into policing until I was in my 30s. I was about the oldest one in the police academy at the time, and I was in the top of my class. Tandie and I are so alike in so many ways. When you want something when you are older, you do it because you want to, not because you have to. I think we are all capable of things far greater than we think we are. Hopefully, Tandie’s scholarship fund will help someone every year who really needs it. Tandie knew about the scholarship and was really thrilled that people would know how hard she tried to finish.” While Kenser will not get to walk across the stage to receive her own diploma this fall, her mother believes she found a sense of peace in the months before she died and no longer held any regrets about pursuing a college degree. “Life is not fair,” Kenser said in 2018. “Fair is just a four-letter word at our house. I’m not a sad person, though I leak a little now and then. I never thought I was getting out of this alive, so I’m redirecting. I’ve been able to give things away and see people enjoy them. I have a lot of love from my family and support from my school, and I know that I’ve been very blessed. I don’t have one thing that I wanted to do that I haven’t done.”

‘Heroes’ help tornado victim finish college and graduate on time

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 14 May 2014 15:00:50 +0000

Christina Saville’s home is situated on Dam Road in Mayflower, a once picturesque drive named for the nearby water barrier on the Arkansas River. Today Saville’s road and much of her hometown resemble a war zone in the aftermath of the April 27 tornadoes that leveled homes and killed 16 people, including one elderly man who lived on her street. Like many survivors who are still piecing their lives together, for now, a motel in Maumelle is home for Christina and her husband of 32 years, Michael.

Dam Road in Mayflower

On Saturday, May 17, Christina Saville returns to her second home at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, when she walks across the stage at the Jack Stephens Center and receives her bachelor’s degree in construction management in spite of the many odds against her. “It’s been interesting; I’ve learned a lot more than I wanted,” Saville says, with a weary chuckle. “We’re still waiting on an engineer to survey the house. It was literally lifted off the ground. I felt it come up and then get slammed back down by the weight of the trees in our yard,” she said. “I always hated those trees, but I’ve rethought it since then,” Saville said. The 50-year-old came to ��Vlog��ýLR much the same way that other non-traditional students end up going back to school – she was laid off from her job in the low voltage subcontracting industry during the economic downturn in 2009. She received the Shelby Breedlove Transfer Scholarship from ��Vlog��ýLR, specifically geared for high-achieving community college students, after graduating with honors from Pulaski Technical College in 2011. She has continued to excel since coming to the university. But, when dusk was beginning to settle in Mayflower on April 27, Saville and her husband hastily gathered some belongings, including as much of her schoolwork as they could find, and left, momentarily unsure of what was ahead. Saville took her first final exam the next day, Monday, April 28, at ��Vlog��ýLR, wondering whether she would have a home to return to after gas leaks just two lots from her home sparked fires that were sure to spread. As she attempted to finish her exams with her wits intact, something struck Saville with the same force as the hard winds that had just devastated her town. “I realized that, as much as it means to me to have a degree, I wanted to just go home,” she said. “It really makes you realize what is most important … I did not do as well as I hoped on the exams, but I passed.” Saville will graduate magna cum laude on Saturday. She is quick to note that while surviving a disaster only days ahead of finishing a college degree does require fortitude, the real heroes are the neighbors and complete strangers who have descended on her hometown since April 27. “Life doesn’t stop. I had obligations, and I knew it was better if I finished what I started,” Saville said. “The real heroes were those who helped us afterwards. That’s where the story is, honestly.” Some of those heroes included understanding professors and even classmates at ��Vlog��ýLR who range in age from 21 to 40 years. “They couldn’t have been better through this whole thing,” Saville said of her fellow students. “They kept me laughing.” Saville plans to continue her education this fall to pursue a master’s degree in construction management at ��Vlog��ýLR, knowing that if she stops now, the likelihood she’ll finish is “slim to none.” “This is the industry I love,” she said, fully aware that she is entering an occupation filled mostly with men. “I know I will be an asset to the industry,” Saville said. Saville said is grateful that she and her loved ones came away from the storm relatively unscathed. She credits her husband’s support for getting her through, and she is also grateful for the reminder of why she moved here from Florida in the first place. “When my husband and I came to Arkansas in 1989, it felt like home,” she said. “I fell in love with the people. That statement has never been so accurate as these past weeks.”

��Vlog��ýLR gives over 700 lbs of clothing to Goodwill

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 05 May 2014 19:57:56 +0000

Goodwill Week, which takes place the first full week of May, was established to promote awareness of the organization’s life-changing mission. ��Vlog��ýLR staff and students recently contributed to that mission by collecting more than 700 pounds of clothing during its annual “Career Closet Suit Drive.” The drive, held during the first two weeks of April, helped provide outfits for people going on job interviews and to work. “We are appreciative to our awesome faculty and staff for donating so many nice career clothes,” said Cynda Alexander, coordinator of non-traditional student programs in the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Campus Life. Alexander said those still needing receipts for their donations are encouraged to inform the Office of Campus Life, which will conduct another drive in the near future. Money collected in April is also helping with career-readiness training, education and job placement services for Arkansans, according to Rebecca Brockman, public relations and community engagement manager with Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. “Thank you for partnering with Goodwill and changing lives,” she said. Last year, Goodwill served 8,300 people and placed 1,280 individuals into competitive employment.

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Career Closet Clothing Drive starts April 1

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 15:45:25 +0000

Goodwill representatives will be on campus in April during the annual Women’s Career Closet Clothing Drive. The drive kicked off on Tuesday, April 1, ��and runs through Monday, April 14. The closet location is in the Donaghey Student Center upper concourse, just outside the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Campus Life. The campus community may support the drive by donating career clothes, including shoes, accessories and purses, to the Office of Campus Life’s Power of Women Program and Non-Traditional Student Programs. Collection boxes will be in the following locations: Testing Services, Private Scholarships, Office of Campus Life, University Writing Center, Procurement Services, Office of Communications, TRIO, Educational Leadership & Administration North. Women are provided a complete interview outfit to wear after completion of training. They will receive another outfit to start their career once they are hired for a job. Tax receipts will be available in the Office of Campus Life. Contact the office at 501.569.3308 for more information.

Students encouraged to seek scholarships, avoid debt

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 21:44:45 +0000

Fifty-five percent of Arkansas students will graduate from college with an average debt of $23,324, according to the latest figures available through the California-based Institute for College Access and Success. Although most education advocates agree that scholarship funding goes a long way towards mitigating debt, some students fail to realize just how much aid is available. One example includes the estimated 75 percent of nontraditional college students in the U.S. This so-called “new majority” includes commuters who are juggling their families and jobs, along with school. Nontraditional students sometimes miss the vast number of scholarships available to them, according to Cynda Alexander, nontraditional student programs coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “It can be daunting,” Alexander said. “But the money is out there if the student is willing to put in the effort.”

Student takes advantage of scholarship opportunities

That was the case for Wendy Lyons, 43, a professional and technical writing major. Lyons earned enough in scholarships to cover her tuition, fees, and books in full for the 2014 spring semester, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do with the $500 left after all her college expenses were paid. She decided to reinvest in the university by buying a $500 lifetime membership to the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association knowing that the fees help support student scholarships. “It just seemed like the right thing to do,” she said. Lyons’ first success with applying and receiving any kind of scholarship came from the Alumni Association. That $500 scholarship was enough to help pay for all her textbooks, saving her hundreds of dollars. “From that first scholarship everything just snowballed,” said Lyons, who spent several months sifting through scholarship applications after she attended an on-campus workshop offered by the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Campus Life specifically geared toward non-traditional students. The workshop was presented by Alexander, Derek Boyce, alumni membership coordinator, and Stephanie Conrad, private scholarship coordinator. “I was flying blind,” admitted Lyons. “I never understood how financial aid worked or much of anything about scholarships, so I was going by the seat of my pants for a while.” The lack of scholarship applicants is not unusual, according to Alexander, who said only 30 percent of available funding is distributed because of low applicant numbers. It is indicative of the challenge educators face in recruiting students who believe the only way through school is substantial debt, she said. “What these non-traditional students need to understand is that people want to give money to this applicant pool because (students) are such a great investment,” Alexander said.

Apply by March 1

��Vlog��ýLR has numerous private scholarships available to current undergraduate and graduate students, as well as incoming students.

Students can complete the private scholarship application��and find information on scholarships offered by the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association and each academic college.

The deadline to apply is March 1.

To learn more, contact Conrad at 501.569.3035 or��privatescholarships@ualr.edu.

Non-traditional student reaches goal, graduates

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 23:22:05 +0000

Many non-traditional students return to school later in life, recognizing the benefit of a college degree in advancing their career. Still, others have an even deeper epiphany, a moment when they realize just how poorly life has turned out without the benefit of an education. Such was the case for senior James Houston, 31, who will be graduating with a systems engineering degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock this December. Several years ago, Houston was living in Dallas and struggling to make ends meet even though he was working two jobs at the time. He had been married less than a year when he and his wife received an eviction notice for failing to keep up with their rent. The kitchen cabinet had two items left in it – marshmallows and a can of spinach. “That was probably my moment of clarity,” he said. “It’s pretty bad when the most you have to eat is marshmallows and spinach.” Houston relocated to Arkansas to be closer to his parents and eventually enrolled at ��Vlog��ýLR in the fall of 2008. Although he continued to support his wife and growing family by working up to three jobs at a time, he never lost sight of his ultimate goal of getting an education. “I walked around with cue cards tied around my neck, so I could study anytime and anywhere I had the chance,” he said with a laugh. Another challenge facing Houston was a condition known as lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks tissues and organs. Houston went six months without taking his prescribed medications because he couldn’t afford them. “School was that important to me,” he said. “I did have spells, but honestly being sick was just something I had to put off. It’s kind of that mind over matter thing.” “As a non-traditional student, James embodies the perseverance necessary for our students to succeed,” said Vernard Henley, director of educational outreach and diversity in the George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology. Houston joined the McNair Scholars program, a federal program designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and was soon presenting his research at regional conferences and the Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. In June 2012, Houston presented his research on how jet engines can heat de-icing fluid as they taxi down the runway. It secured him a second place win at the 18th annual Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel McNair/Student Support Services Research Conference. In addition to being a systems engineering major, Houton minored in both math and geographic information science. Today he is fielding job opportunities that could potentially land in the $70,000 range. “It kind of takes your breath away,” said Houston. “That’s a long way from marshmallows and spinach.”

��Vlog��ýLR to celebrate Non-Traditional Student Week Nov. 4-8

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 19:34:01 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will again celebrate National Non-Traditional Student Week from Nov. 4 to 8, with fun events scheduled throughout the Donaghey Student Center and other campus locations to highlight the contributions of its non-trad students. From 9 to 11 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 4 through 5, stop by Room 216 G of DSC to discover more about the Non-Traditional Student Organization and the support services the Office of Campus Life offers. Information on mentoring, tutoring, and scholarships will be available. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, students may pick up a sweet treat for only $1 in the DSC foyer. All proceeds benefit the non-traditional student scholarship fund. On Thursday, Nov. 7, non-traditional students who show a coupon (available from Cynda Alexander, non-traditional student program coordinator, in Room 216G of DSC) will receive a 10 percent discount on all ��Vlog��ýLR emblematic items. Another coupon can be used to receive a 25 percent discount on a frappuccino between 2 and 4 p.m. at Starbucks in the food court. Finally, Friday, Nov. 8, is the deadline for the first ��Vlog��ýLR Non-Traditional Student Week essay contest. Entrants are encouraged to write about what obtaining an education at ��Vlog��ýLR means to them. All essays should be typed in 12-point, Times New Roman font and be between 750 and 1,000 words. Submissions should be emailed as an attachment to ntsp@ualr.edu. The winner receives a $100 book voucher for next semester and will be featured in the next non-traditional student newsletter. A non-traditional student at ��Vlog��ýLR typically has one or more of the following characteristics:

Delayed enrollment after high school
Attend school part time
Works full time (25+ hours)
Are financially independent
Have dependents other than a spouse
Are a single parent
Have or still are serving in the military
Is a first generation student

��Vlog��ýLR acknowledges returning to school as a non-traditional student can be an exciting, yet stressful experience. The Non-Traditional Student Programs (NTSP) staff has “been there, done that” and is available to assist from registration through graduation. Campuses across the country show their dedication to non-traditional students by celebrating them during the annual nationwide week of appreciation each November.

Nontraditional students can find scholarship opps at Oct. 8 workshop

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 13:14:08 +0000

A workshop to help nontraditional students discover and apply for scholarships will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct 8. Stephanie Conrad, private scholarship coordinator, will present information on the variety of scholarships available for nontraditional students in the ��Vlog��ýLR Donaghey Student Center, Ledbetter Hall, Room B. She will be joined by Wendy Lyons and Miguel Alvarez, two nontraditional students at ��Vlog��ýLR who have earned several scholarships. In the photo to the left, non-traditional ��Vlog��ýLR student Wendy Lyons, (left), receives a check awarded annually to a veteran of any branch of the military planning to enroll in an accredited two- or four-year college or university in Arkansas Cynda Alexander is the nontraditional student programs coordinator at ��Vlog��ýLR. She says many adult learners simply don’t know how to address the challenge of finding free money for school, or they assume it is not available for them. “It can be daunting,” Alexander said. “But the money is out there if the student is willing to put in the effort.” People and businesses often prefer to give money to nontraditional students because they are generally a great investment, according to Alexander. “They want to know that the student will be able to pay it forward. And these students almost always will.” For more information on scholarship opportunities for nontraditional students, contact Alexander at 501.569.3308.

Non-traditional students discover scholarships are for them, too

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:21:52 +0000

Fifty-four percent of Arkansas students will graduate with an average debt of $21,000, according to the latest figures available through the California-based Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS). Although most education advocates agree that scholarship funding goes a long way towards mitigating debt, non-traditional students in particular fail to realize just how much financial aid is available to offset the growing cost of higher education. Cynda Alexander is the non-traditional student programs coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She says many adult learners simply don’t know how to address the challenge of finding free money for school, or they assume it is not available for them. “It can be daunting,” Alexander said. “But the money is out there if the student is willing to put in the effort.” That was the case for 42-year-old Wendy Lyons, a triple major in small business management, accounting, and professional and technical writing. So far, Lyons has applied for, and been awarded, upwards of $6,500–enough to cover the cost of full-time tuition and fees at the university this fall. Lyons spent several months sifting through a variety of scholarship applications after she attended an on-campus workshop offered by the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Campus Life specifically geared toward non-traditional students. The workshop is presented by Alexander, as well as Alumni Membership Coordinator Derek Boyce and Private Scholarship Coordinator Stephanie Conrad. “I was flying blind,” admitted Lyons. “I never understood how financial aid worked or much of anything about scholarships, so I was going by the seat of my pants for a while.” To help make the process less formidable, Alexander said much of the legwork is done for the students ahead of time, including supplying a spreadsheet that lists about 70-80 awards specifically for the non-traditional student. Alexander also invited representatives of various scholarship foundations to give the 75 workshop attendees an idea of what is available for non-traditionals, if they only asked. Lyons spent hours each day applying for any scholarship for which she fit the criteria. She applied for close to 30 scholarships, many of them from private sources outside of ��Vlog��ýLR. Lyons first found success with a scholarship from the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association that paid for all her textbooks, saving her hundreds of dollars. But the real shocker, she said, was a $2,500 AT&T War Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually to a veteran of any branch of the military planning to enroll in an accredited two- or four-year college or university in Arkansas. Because she assumed the competition would be fierce, Lyons did not think she stood much of a chance after submitting her 500-word essay for the scholarship. Only four veterans applied. In another instance, a local scholarship deadline was extended because Lyons was the only student to apply at the time. The lack of scholarship applicants is not unusual, according to Alexander, who said only 30 percent of available funding is distributed because of low applicant numbers. It is indicative of the challenge educators face in recruiting students who believe the only way through school is substantial debt, she said. “What these non-traditional students need to understand is that people want to give money to this applicant pool because they are generally such a great investment,” Alexander said. “They want to know that the student will be able to pay it forward. And these students almost always will.” Lyons was fortunate. The supervisor at the small firm where she works not only suggested she return to school–all her courses so far have been online–he has provided financial assistance to help her do so. Now Lyons is able to return the favor as she finds money in many unusual places to help pave her own way. As she awaits word on the last few scholarships she has applied for, she says even if she receives nothing more the process has been worth the effort. Lyons said perhaps the scholarship committee members appreciated her opening hook in the essay she used for most of her applications, which reads: “When I was 18, I was an idiot, and college would’ve been wasted on me.” “People need to see that the scholarships are out there, it just takes a little time and dedication to apply,” Lyons said. “I owe Ms. Alexander a lot. The seminar she led was very productive, obviously, but you just have to be willing to go after it.”

Undaunted biology student among leading grads this Saturday

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:16:47 +0000

Senior biology major Azure Yarbrough is among the more than 1,500 students who are expected to��participate��in ��Vlog��ýLR’s Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 18, at the Jack Stephens Center. Yarbrough, 35, knows a thing or two about diligence. She is graduating after a 17-year gap since she first enrolled as a full-time college student. There will be no such gap when she starts graduate school this fall, however. Yarbrough will focus her studies on cellular and molecular biology at the master’s level, leading to a Ph.D. in applied bioscience from ��Vlog��ýLR. This summer, she hopes to work in the biology lab at ��Vlog��ýLR, trying to replicate a protein based recombinant gene known as RabK2. “I prefer to never be bored,” she said, “and cellular and molecular biology lets me ask new questions. Plus, it’s really interesting to see the relationships between organisms. Who would have thought we humans had something in common with worms?” Yarbrough attended college for two years directly after high school and originally dreamed of going to work for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. But her education was placed on hold following the birth of her daughter, who had a bleeding disorder. Five years later, her son was also born with the disorder, initially diagnosed with severe autism accompanied by violent outbursts. His final diagnosis was sensory integration dysfunction. To support herself and her children, Yarbrough worked two and sometimes three jobs. But whether she was bartending, assisting at a veterinarian clinic, or helping disassemble vehicles at a garage, she never stopped dreaming of returning to school.

One Dream Realized, Another Ignited

Three years ago, her grandmother’s generous offer to pay for tuition enabled Yarbrough to stop thinking about, and instead, start living her dream. Two weeks into her first molecular biology course, Yarbrough says she found something she could do forever. “When I found that class, everything fell into place. That class compared to three jobs was nothing,” she said, laughing. Along the way, Yarbrough, a Supplemental Instruction Leader at the Academic Success Center, also realized she had a knack for teaching. “I’m not highly motivated by money,” she said. “I want to investigate what I want to study, and teaching allows you that freedom.” Yarbrough said tutoring, with all its perks and drawbacks, is fine, but helping adults who want to learn is really a lot of fun. “I’ve had a lot of students say I was really good at it, plus I love being at school,” she said. Yarbrough was so determined to finish her undergraduate degree that even a prolonged hospital stay last year due to an abscessed mass and kidney failure did not deter her. When asked what kept her going through the years, she answered, “my kids.” She said her children, now 15 and 10, will no doubt cheer her on as she leads her college as a student marshal during the processional at commencement, an honor bestowed on outstanding students. “I want them to know that no matter how hard it is, you can still achieve your goal,” Yarbrough said. “Life is full of difficulties and challenges, but you have to know how to overcome them.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to honor student who died of cancer with posthumous degree