•  

Featured Stories

Non-Traditional Student Perseveres to Graduate

May 8, 2009

When Lisa Wingrove decided she wanted to get a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado, she knew it wouldn’t be easy.

She would be ending a successful 13-year career as a flight attendant. She had two children and a husband. They would have to leave their native Australia. And there were more hurdles to come.

The family’s move to the United States almost eight years ago came about when Wingrove and her husband, Andrew, realized they needed less stressful jobs and that a change in scenery also would be healthy. Having fallen in love with Colorado during a vacation, they decided Denver would be their new home and dietetics would be Lisa’s new career.

"I love food, but I love more that dietetics is food and science with a purpose," Lisa said in explaining her new career choice. "We decided on Denver because Andrew’s an urban planner and I decided UNC’s dietetics program was the best because it’s a didactic program leading to accreditation."

Lisa transferred to UNC for her final 18 months of classes. The 100-mile roundtrip commute from Denver to Greeley four days a week presented some more hurdles, but they were ones that Wingrove sloughed off with aplomb.

"It wasn’t so bad," she said of the commute that ended this week. "I was thankful for books on tape and two winters of fairly mild weather, though."

The two-plus hours of driving, combined with a full schedule of classes, made for some long days, Lisa said, but her children understood why she couldn’t always be home to see them off to school or make dinner, and why when she was home, she was often cloistered in a quiet corner of the house doing homework.

Her husband understood, too. Even when, in the midst of fall semester final exams, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"It’s a shock to hear an internist say they think it’s cancer," Lisa said. "My immediate reaction was that I’d put my degree on hold."

But Andrew and the kids encouraged her to finish her degree. The family strategized, rearranged schedules a bit and accepted the many offers of help from friends and Lisa’s instructors and classmates.

"I couldn’t have finished (my degree) without such wonderful children, a wonderful husband and great friends," said Lisa. "My professors were unbelievably amazing, telling me that they’d be flexible if I needed extra time for assignments, offering support, helping keep me focused. I couldn’t have done it without them and the support of my classmates."

Andrew underwent surgery in December and began chemotherapy in January. Lisa accompanied him to every treatment, often doing homework on her laptop while Andrew relaxed to music or slept.

"Lisa is truly exceptional," said Professor of Dietetics Jamie Erskine. "She consistently goes beyond the boundaries of an assignment to do meaningful work. Plus, she applied her education in discussing her husband’s case with the oncologist and researching nutrition and cancer on her own."

Lisa used her dietetics knowledge to develop a diet for Andrew that helped reverse his weight-loss caused by the cancer and gave him the strength he needed to handle the chemotherapy.

"I couldn’t fix him, but I knew I could help him," Lisa said. "Plus he’s kept a great attitude."

The combination of treatments, diet and attitude paid off. Andrew finished the prescribed chemotherapy in mid-April and shortly after was told that his cancer was in remission. A few days later, Lisa received word that she had been chosen for a highly competitive internship opportunity this summer. Things were looking up.

Then, with less than a month until commencement, Andrew was laid off from his job. Lisa refused to let the news get her down.

"His skills and knowledge are in demand," Lisa said. "I’m concentrating on finishing up my class projects, and I’m confident that he’ll have another job soon."

Last week, Andrew received a job offer. This week Lisa’s parents are flying from Australia to see her graduate. And Andrew and the kids will watch proudly as Lisa achieves a dream six years in the making.

Things are looking up.

Of Note

- Michelle Huster returned to school and graduated with honors with a bachelor’s in Music Education after spending the past five years commuting from Longmont. Back surgery prevented the single mother of three children from attending the ceremony.

- Casandra Nichols becomes only the second UNC graduate in history to earn three degrees after completing 180 hours, an average of five classes a semester including summer over four years. She’s earning degrees in Communication, Political Science and Sociology. She’ll be the first in her family to graduate and put herself through school by working two jobs. She’s also a member of a sorority and leads a gospel choir.

- For a look at how two exchange students from France spent their year at UNC videotaping a student perspective of life on campus, visit http://www.unco.edu/video/index.asp?cat=studentvideo&id=12&tab=2. Journalism majors Martin Boudot and Damien Caruso will use some of their footage for their final projects at the journalism schools they attend in France. Before returning to France, though, they’ll both work summer internships at Denver’s KMGH-TV arranged through their UNC program.

For additional information about UNC’s commencement ceremonies, including a profile of the spring graduating class, read the news release at http://www.unco.edu/news/releases.asp?ID=815.

- Gary Dutmers

Return to list of Featured Stories

Suggest a story