Every student has a story. As graduates near the completion of their programs at College of Western Idaho (CWI), their stories are often passed along. When given permission, we enjoy sharing these personal accounts — written by students themselves — with the CWI community, and hope reading them inspires you, too.
Graduation is about rising above.
Written by Ash Shipley.
Trigger Warning: Abuse, death and dying
When I first set foot on the campus of College of Western Idaho (CWI), I wasn’t sure if I was ready for school again. It had been years since I had last enrolled in a school back in 2009 when I had to put my education on hold. It felt like a lifetime ago, and the thought of going back to school was daunting, but deep down, I knew I had to try.
In Spring 2021, I decided to dip my toes back into education, enrolling in just one class to test the waters. By week three, I was hooked. I realized that not only did I need to go back to school to pursue my dream of becoming a social worker, but I also wanted to focus on supporting the Deaf community. I couldn’t ignore the calling that had been within me for so long.
But life had other plans.
Just before my first official semester began, my world turned upside down. My husband suffered a sudden heart attack and slipped into a coma. It felt like a nightmare that wouldn’t end. I lived at the hospital, balancing the emotional weight of my husband's life hanging in the balance with the responsibility of caring for my two daughters and a demanding full-time job. I was exhausted, but I had to keep going, for him, for my girls, and for myself.
For a week, I hardly left his side, and when he woke from the coma, he didn’t recognize me or our daughters. My heart shattered as I watched him struggle with amnesia, desperately trying to piece together memories of a life that no longer seemed familiar to him. He was in the ICU for another month. I pushed forward with my studies, attending classes through Zoom in the sterile, white-walled hospital room with nurses and doctors interrupting at every turn. There were days when I felt like I couldn’t take another step, but my CWI instructors, particularly Sherry Matthews, lifted me up. Sherry was more than just an instructor; she was a lifeline. She showed me grace when I needed it most and helped me meet my goals while navigating one of the most challenging times in my life.
For the next few months, I juggled my full course load, worked 40 hours a week, cared for my teenage girls and for my husband as he went through memory rehabilitation. But I refused to let it break me.
I finally brought my husband home for good. But just two days after the end of Fall Semester, my world crumbled again. He passed away at home. It was a grief so deep it felt like I couldn’t possibly move forward. I thought about quitting school, about stepping away to grieve and heal. But I couldn’t. I knew my story wasn’t finished yet, and the support from the CWI staff made all the difference. I was surrounded by people who believed in me even when I wasn’t sure I could keep going.
Just when I thought the worst was behind me, I was forced to confront a painful chapter from my past. The reason I had to put school on hold in 2009 — a dangerous and abusive situation with my daughter’s father — returned full force. As I fought to care for my family, I had to endure a ruthless and unethical court custody battle that dragged on and on. The trauma of this renewed legal battle brought an added layer of stress and anxiety, but I knew I had to keep going, for myself, for my children, and for the future I was determined to build.
The support I received from CWI's instructors became the guiding light I needed to navigate these challenges. Each day was a new battle, dealing with my children’s mental health struggles, the weight of grief, the legal battle, and the demands of being a full-time student and a full-time employee. But through it all, I stood tall. I kept pushing forward, because I knew that in the midst of every storm, there is always a reason to keep going.
Today, I stand here, not just as a survivor, but as a testament to the strength that we all carry within us. I faced loss, hardship, and heartbreak, but I refused to let them define me. With each step, I grew stronger, more determined, and more passionate about my future in social work with the Deaf community. I didn’t just make it through, I thrived.
Graduation is not just a celebration of academic achievement; it’s a reminder that no matter what life throws our way, we have the power to rise above it. I’ve proven to myself that no obstacle is too great when we choose to keep moving forward.
