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�ֲ���ý graduate Lizz West balanced family responsibilities and a full course load by leveraging student resources that helped her stay enrolled and reach graduation.

Lizz West did not follow a traditional educational path. She was homeschooled throughout childhood and earned her GED before attaining some college credit to work in health care. Several years later, she returned to school at �ֲ���ý to pursue a career in health administration.

Married with two children, West said learning how to navigate and use support services at �ֲ���ý became central to her success. Through academic and financial support programs, she balanced a full course load and progressed toward graduation.

“There are a lot of resources that �ֲ���ý offers to students. The library has great people there. There are mental health services with free counseling,” said West. “There’s a professional closet that I’m going to before the end of the year so I can get a couple professional outfits.”

West graduated debt-free from �ֲ���ý in December with associate degrees in Liberal Arts and Enterprise Development.

Navigating Support

As a first-generation college student, West navigated higher education largely on her own while learning to seek out academic guidance and campus resources along the way. She said having access to study spaces, advising, workshops, and other student services helped her stay on track through challenging semesters.

West also connected with �ֲ���ý's TRIO Student Support Services, a federally funded program that supports first-generation and low-income students through academic advising, tutoring, and other resources, as she approached graduation.

“I’ve been able to use their tutoring services, their kitchen area, and equipment like a standing desk and headphones, as well as a whiteboard and markers as I’m a visual learner,” said West. “And being able to talk with my academic advisor, Joseph [Schnetzer], and ask him questions while he guides me to a solution has been so helpful.”

The help extended beyond academics. West obtained a TRIO Works Scholarship through the Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance, which she said helped ease day-to-day financial pressure as she balanced school and family expenses.

West will also be inducted into the Oklahoma TRIO Hall of Fame next year, an experience she said she’s grateful for.

“Being told I was a good role model meant a lot to me. I want to show people that even if you have kids and things are hard, you can still go to school,” she said.

Beyond �ֲ���ý

West will transfer to Northeastern State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Science, building on her health care background while creating a path that supports both her career goals and her family.

She encourages returning and adult students to explore the student services available to them and notes that access and support can make the difference between stopping out and finishing school.

“I would tell people thinking of going back to college to look into all the resources that you can,” she said. “I don't know what the reason someone might have quit was, but I know the reasons why I wanted to quit, and I didn’t.”