After years of setbacks, things are finally moving in the right direction for Alex Nava.
Just days after graduating from College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Bookkeeping and Accounting program, he received a job offer in his new career field.
"Everything's starting to look up now since I graduated," Nava said. "I can literally see the light at the end of the tunnel after all the stuff I've been through."
The years leading up to graduation brought challenges both inside and outside the classroom.
During his time at CWI, Nava navigated the lasting effects of a serious trucking accident, a stroke that affected his vision, heart complications that required a pacemaker, and financial hardships.
"I was down but not out," Nava said.
Before accounting, before college, and before the career change, Nava spent more than 20 years as a truck driver.
"I have four kids and five grandkids. All my kids are grown up," he said.
For more than two decades, truck driving helped him support his family.
"Being on the road makes money. It was something I knew."
In November 2021, a medical emergency behind the wheel changed everything. Nava's truck left the freeway, resulting in a crash that nearly took his life. He broke his back in three places, shattered his wrist, tore both rotator cuffs, broke ribs, and suffered a severe concussion.
"Somehow, even after all of that, I dug myself out of the wreck and walked to the side of the road," he said. "I remember laying there in the rocks, cold, staring at a full moon in twenty-degree weather, realizing I was still alive."
Recovery took years with multiple surgeries, physical therapy, and the challenge of adjusting to a new reality.
However, during that time, Nava found himself drawn to something unexpected: numbers. After leaving truck driving, Nava began working at ICCU, where he discovered a talent for helping people understand financial information and solving problems.
"I found out I have a real knack of customer service and helping people and getting the numbers," he said. "I love numbers."
That discovery led him to CWI's Bookkeeping and Accounting program.
Returning to school after more than two decades away from the classroom was intimidating, but Nava was determined to keep moving forward.
"My professors helped me along the way by understanding the troubles I was going through to keep going in class and giving me extra time to take tests or turn things in," he said.
Two of those instructors were Associate Professor of Accounting, Joe Welker, and Bookkeeping and Accounting Instructor, Darcia Johns. Through their classes, Nava discovered accounting was much broader than he originally thought.
"It opened my mind," he said. "I thought it was just this or this. But then there's payables, receivables, auditing and all. I was like, this is crazy."
What started as an interest in numbers became an introduction to the many ways accounting supports businesses and organizations. The more Nava learned about the profession, the more opportunities he discovered.
Another influence came from his brother, Jose Nava, a CWI Foundation Board member, owner of Affordable Tax Prep & Bookkeeping Services LLC in Nampa, and CWI graduate. Through an internship with his brother, Nava began preparing taxes, working with clients, and applying concepts from the classroom in a professional setting.
"I found out that I love doing taxes," he said.
Then, just as he was settling into a new routine, another setback arrived.
In 2024, Nava suffered a stroke that caused him to lose much of the vision in his right eye. Doctors also discovered a condition affecting his nervous system that caused his heart to stop unexpectedly, leading to the implantation of a pacemaker.
As coursework became more demanding, Nava found ways to adapt. Because reading from a computer screen strained his vision, he printed assignments and course materials, often completing work on paper before entering it online.
"I literally wore out a printer," he said. "I bought a printer at the beginning of school. I wore it out. It broke."
Throughout the journey, one person remained by his side through every challenge: his wife, Kendra.
"The last couple of semesters I was like, 'I don't know if I can do this.' She's like, 'You survived the accident. You survived this. You can survive another two more semesters of school. Let's just keep going.'"
When school, health concerns, and financial pressures became overwhelming, she reminded him of everything he had already survived.
"You've fallen 10 times, and you're back up. Take one more step," Nava said. "So I would take that one more step because of her."
As he worked toward graduation, Nava was also navigating financial troubles and searching for employment. Then everything changed in a matter of days.
"I literally interviewed on the Monday before graduation, walked the stage on Tuesday, and they called and offered me the job on Wednesday," he said.
Today, Nava works as an account specialist with Revascent in Meridian, where he is helping manage accounts payable and continuing to learn the profession.
The role allows him to build on the same accounting concepts he explored through coursework, internships, and real-world experiences while at CWI.
"I wanted a new life and a new career," he said. "I wanted to prove to myself I was still capable of learning, growing, and building something better for my future."
Even with a new career underway, Nava is already focused on his next goal. A lifelong Las Vegas Raiders fan, Nava keeps a rejection letter from an accounting position with the organization hanging on his wall.
"One day I will have the experience and will go back and apply for that job," he said.
For now, he is focused on building experience, helping support his family, and continuing to move forward.
"My story is not just about an accident, a stroke, or starting over," he said. "My story is about refusing to give up. Life may push me down, but I will get back up."
"The clouds have parted, and now I'm growing and seeing the light," he said. "And man does it look amazing."
Ready to take your next step? Explore CWI's Business and Management pathway and build the leadership, administrative, and business skills employers are looking for.
