Congratulations to Sarah Corral, College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Student Achievement Award recipient.
Corral has a passion for science, and she recently discovered a joy for working in CWI’s Campus garden with Andrea Schumaker, Department Chair for Physical & Agricultural Sciences.
“Working in the garden has shown me that hard work and persistence pays off,” Corral said. “The community feeling has given me a sense of security and knowing that even if I struggle, there will be someone to help me get through it.”
Corral’s biggest challenge in her educational journey has been balancing school, work, and as a single mother, raising her daughter’s ages 4 and 6, but she is thankful for the support she receives at the College.
“Coming to CWI is something I constantly look forward to and enjoy the challenges it provides,” she said. “Every professor I have had seems to truly care about the success of students, which is rare to find. My experience here at CWI is vastly greater than my prior college experience, and I will forever be grateful.”
She highlighted the impact Chemistry faculty, Brian McClain, has had motivating her to achieve educational goals.
“McClain is inspiring in the sense of showing students they can achieve anything if they put the work into it, whether this is in school or life,” she said.
In addition to the support from faculty, she has also received an Emerging Scholar’s scholarship, “which has helped cover the cost of tuition and books, relieving some financial stress,” she added.
After graduating in 2022, Corral plans on transferring to Boise State University to continue her education – with the goal to obtain a master’s degree and then a doctorate.
