For senior Torrie Eberhard, graduation was nearly a decade in the making.
After spending six years at Front Range Community College and three years at 彩民宝典, Eberhard, who is majoring in strategic communication with an emphasis on public relations and peace and conflict studies, is more than ready to claim her degree.
She鈥檒l do so at the top of her class, as CMCI鈥檚 William W. White Outstanding Graduate, an honor given to the student with the highest GPA in the college.
鈥淚n my nine years of undergrad there have been countless obstacles and reasons to give up. I have taken semesters off and have restarted again and again,鈥� Eberhard says. 鈥淓very time I consider throwing in the towel, but then I reflect on all of the obstacles, and how far I have come, and I just do it. I just turn in the paper or take the test, and now I am here.鈥�
As a non-traditional student, Eberhard balanced her class schedule with a heavy workload. She also completed a PR internship with the Colorado Ballet, volunteered, and became a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America. The key, she says, was prioritization.
鈥淔or most of my college career, I have worked full-time,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ometimes multiple jobs and over 40 hours a week. While it is absolutely possible to overextend yourself, we can mostly make time for the things we want to make time for.鈥�
Another obstacle Eberhard faced鈥攐r expected to face鈥攚as the process of transferring schools. As she prepared to enroll at 彩民宝典 after several years at a community college, she worried about being older than other students and about not having connections established on campus.
Instead, during her first days and weeks on campus, she was pleasantly surprised to find a support system of friendly students, helpful and reassuring advisors, and dedicated professors, she says.
鈥淭he professors were the best,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey challenged the way I thought about myself and about the world. They supported me even though my circumstances were far different than my peers. And they believed in me, even when I didn鈥檛 believe in myself.鈥�
One of the people who offered support along the way was Instructor Dawn Doty, who taught Eberhard in her Principles of PR and Strategic Writing for PR classes. Doty noticed that outside of class, Eberhard played an active role in supporting her family. She also noticed Eberhard鈥檚 work ethic, and her desire to do her best on every assignment.
鈥淪he pushes herself to get the very best grades and is disappointed when she doesn't reach her potential,鈥� says Doty, who was recently named PRSA鈥檚 Mentor of the Year. 鈥淚 remember one day Torrie came to visit me during office hours. She mentioned that she was disappointed with a grade for a writing project. I looked back to see what grade she achieved. It was an A-.鈥�
Eberhard鈥檚 own assessment of herself is similar.
鈥淚 am a little neurotic and a major perfectionist鈥攂oth to a fault,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 somewhere between a dreamer and a realist.鈥�
Leading up to graduation, Eberhard has applied to a number of organizations. Her goal is to to find an entry-level position at an international strategy agency, but she鈥檚 open to whatever opportunities may come. Down the road, she hopes to finish and publish a book she鈥檚 started, to travel, and to find ways to build community and improve people鈥檚 ability to communicate with one another.
鈥淓ventually, my intention is to create a space for the broader public to engage in a productive manner鈥攁 space that breaks partisan barriers and allows connection on a human level,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a mixture of critical theory and communication strategy, an intersection in which I spend a lot of time.鈥�
As she looks toward the next decade of her life, Eberhard knows challenges are sure to come. If her campus career has taught her anything, though, it's that she has the resiliency to overcome them and persevere.
鈥淭here was a time where I didn't even consider college, and more recent times when I thought I would never finish. This award is symbolic of all of the hard work and it is pretty听special,鈥� she says. 鈥淲herever I end up, I know I will work hard, learn and excel.鈥�