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Table of Contents 8 Danielle Thompson 9 Chris Klenke 10 Hope Suttles 11 Ashley Foley
Standard staff Advertising staff Joel Grieshaber sales Hailey Gilbreath sales
Editorial staff Cortlynn Stark editor-in-chief Emily Cole news editor Nina Todea life editor Amanda Sullivan sports editor Kaitlyn Stratman photo editor Bill Sioholm digital editor
Reporters/Photographers Claire Niebrugge senior sports reporter Layne Stracener senior reporter Carissa Alford reporter Zoe Brown reporter Terry Chapman reporter Greta Cross reporter Kayla Curry reporter Kathryn Dolan reporter
Jessica Flanigan reporter Afton Harper reporter Madison Horner reporter Tinsley Merriman reporter Shannon Noonan reporter Reese Radmacher reporter Vanna Guzmán-Slater reporter Connor Wilson reporter Andrew Unferverth reporter Cole Sutton sports reporter Monica Blake sports reporter Sam Grus sports reporter Derek Shore sports reporter Sarah Hollstrom copy editor Chloe Sierks copy editor Madeline Schatz copy editor
Professional staff Jack Dimond faculty adviser Sandy King advertising manager
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Cover design by James Hunter
4 Abigail Clark & Advice 6 Kourtney Mudd & Macy Hankel 7 Danielle and Andrea Allison
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From Chi to Chi: Abigail Clark’s journey through college, plans beyond College of Arts and Letters CONNOR WILSON Staff Reporter @Connor4Wilson Students at Missouri State come from a variety of backgrounds, whether they’re accustomed to the sprawling city life or a humble hometown. MSU student Abigail Clark comes from the Chi — Chillicothe, Missouri. The senior organizational communications major will be graduating this semester — a full year earlier than the major path accounts for — but won’t see her journey through college end quite yet. After a year-long break, she’ll enter graduate school. Where at remains a mystery, but Clark feels confident she’ll find her place. “Because I have a high GPA, experience and will be getting experience, I should be able to, not have my pick, but have options when it comes to grad school,” Clark said. Clark has received A's in all of her classes at MSU. Clark’s adviser, assistant professor Stephen Spates, has been with her for most of her way through college. “She hit the ground running and ever since has been rewarded for her efforts and recognized for her efforts in the program,” Spates said. Clark graduated from high school with a class of about 140 students. When it came to deciding where to study, she wanted somewhere that was a good distance from home, a large campus but fairly small classes and also offered decent scholarships. With this in mind, Clark applied to MSU — the only college she applied for. Coming into college, Clark was originally a socio-political communications major, but as she started on the major-track, she realized political science wasn’t exactly for her. As she was exploring options and determining exactly what she wanted to
do in communications, one of her courses had a few guest speakers that talked about the various communication majors that MSU offers. One of the guest speakers was Spates. “I don’t know that I could put into words how much impact and influence he had on my life,” Clark said. “He changed my college career, the jobs I have and kind of the people I know.” Clark said that both in classes she had with Spates and in the advisement she received from him, Spates always pushed her harder than the rubric asked him to, and that challenge is what helped her thrive. During her year-long break from college, Clark is going to first take a trip with Study Away to Ireland. After she gets back in June, she’ll be moving to Chicago. While she doesn’t yet have a job lined up, she isn’t too stressed about it, as the places she’s applied to already have only said they weren’t willing to wait until June 17, when she’ll be moving. One of the reasons Clark is going to Chicago is because she has experience from when she interned at the Special Olympics in Chicago last summer. “It was incredible,” Clark said. “It was the 50th anniversary and it was founded in Chicago so there was planning that celebration at the same time as everything else.” During her internship, she managed the marketing campaign for the Polar Plunge the Special Olympics held there. Clark said it was a great experience that she wouldn’t have received anywhere else. With this experience and several others, along with her high GPA, Clark isn’t too worried about finding work in the coming year. She knows she’ll find something when the time is right. Spates said that one of the things he admired about Clark is that she’s always planning ahead what her next move will be. “She’s thinking ahead, she wants to be the best and has a natural ambition about her and drive to reach her goals,” Spates said. “She’s just a great person.”
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Abigail Clark is taking a year break before starting graduate school.
Seniors give advice to their freshmen selves KAYLA CURRY Staff Reporter @kaylalcurry As finals approach, seniors are preparing to graduate. After spending four years (or more) in college, seniors hold a perspective that underclassmen lack, and for freshmen, the advice they have to offer may be worthy of consideration. One of the common flukes experienced by freshmen transitioning into college is clinging on to their old high school behaviors. For example, students who stayed involved in high school may find it difficult getting as involved in college. “My advice to my freshman self would be don’t spread yourself too thin with involvements and get burnt out,” senior pro-
fessional writing major Matt Campbell said. “It’s okay to try out several things and narrow it down to the things you’re really passionate about.” Sticking to high school study habits is another reason freshmen may struggle, but seniors assure struggling at first is normal. It’s also a challenge easy to overcome if you use the resources given to you. “I would say not to beat yourself up if you don’t do as well in class as you did in high school,” graduate student in health administration Shelby Morrison said. “College is a completely different ballgame, and it takes a while to adjust to the requirements. If you find yourself struggling and need help, don’t be too embarrassed to reach out.” Freshmen struggling during their first semester can utilize the resources offered by
Missouri State such as the library, the Writing Center or their advisers. “When I first started college, I just graduated fourth in my class, hardly had to study in high school, and thought learning just came naturally,” Morrison said. “When I got into college, I found myself getting C’s on tests and struggling to grasp the concepts of classes. Thankfully, the Bear CLAW was there to help, as well as extra time with my professors.” One key takeaway English literature major Bradley Kelly learned is that college is the time to be uncertain about almost everything, and changing your major once, twice or multiple times is normal. Plans in college change more often than not, and sometimes that takes you in a completely different direction than you thought.
“Having changed my major more times than I care to count, I always felt pressured to plan out the rest of my life, but that’s quite unrealistic for someone in their 20s,” Kelly said. “I’ve mapped out plans to be everything from a doctor to a lawyer, but I’m now getting a degree in English literature and pursuing a career in banking and couldn’t be happier. “In short, the advice I wish I had gotten is that it’s perfectly fine to not have everything figured out as a freshman. Life tends to throw curve balls, and if you find you’re passionate about something, give it a try.” As a freshman, changes seem to be one of the only constants, but graduating seniors prove the challenges are possible to overcome. “Don’t be too hard on yourself when things are difficult,” Morrison said. “It’ll be worth it in the end.”
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College of Business
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College of Education
Finding success through First-generation student plans determination, hard work to close education equity gap LAYNE STRACENER Senior Reporter @LayneStracener When Kourtney Mudd was having trouble getting credit for an internship, she walked into the interim management department head’s office with a big, organized binder filled with documentation on what she had done to try to accomplish this. This was the first time the now finance and general business department head Jeff Jones met Mudd. At that moment, he already knew that her organization and determination would lead her to success. Mudd received her bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration degree in four years. She graduated from Missouri State in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in administrative management with an emphasis in human resources. A year later, she received her master’s degree. Now, Mudd is doing what she loves as the Anheuser-Busch regional people (human resources) supervisor in Florida, where she plans engagement activities and handles recruiting and employee concerns. In college, Mudd was a graduate assistant and peer advisor and she participated in two human resource internships.
“Have an open mind when it comes to the next step in your life and be open to trying new things.” - Kourtney Mudd She was also a member of professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and the Society for Human Resource Management. Melody LaPreze, a management and information technology assistant professor, said Mudd set herself up for success by going to the Career Center, updating her resume and making sure it stood out, taking advantage of every opportunity and not waiting until her senior year to do any of this. “Kourtney knew what she wanted and figured out what steps to take to get there and then took those steps,” LaPreze said. “It was like checking off boxes for her.” Mudd went into her freshman year with the
goal of graduating in three years. Along the way, opportunities arose that she hadn’t considered. “I didn’t know I was going to get my MBA right after I graduated, but because I was so focused on my goals, it fell into my lap,” Mudd said. “You just have to take those opportunities that arise and go after them.” Mudd said her favorite part of her job is the community and culture. She has been with the company for about 11 months, and she has already lived in three locations. “It’s one of those things where they move you and you automatically make friends with people,” Mudd said. “I’m best friends with eight people in my program, and we live all the way from Canada to California to upstate New York. The community that it builds is my favorite part.” Moving around also has its challenges, Mudd said, especially because she has to readjust so often while figuring out who she is at the same time. “Every day brings a new adventure in a way that I haven’t experienced before,” Mudd said. “As much fun as it is to pick your life up and move around, it’s also very taxing and very hard because you’re basically starting over in every place that you go, learning a new job, learning about new people, learning about yourself.” Mudd said that because of this, she has also grown faster as a person than she originally thought she was capable of. “Through that process, I’ve learned who I am in a way that I never would have been able to before, so I think that is also part of the culture at Anheuser-Busch,” Mudd said. “They definitely push you outside your comfort zone.” Mudd said the most important part of how she gained success and overcomes challenges is she is never afraid to ask for help. “I ask for help every single day,” Mudd said “There’s always so much more to learn, so it’s important to always be capable of asking for help and knowing that it’s okay. People often think that if they ask for help they will be seen as incompetent, but that’s never the case.” Some advice Mudd has for graduating seniors is to always think a few steps ahead while still enjoying the moment and to have an open mind when applying for jobs and accepting job offers. “There are so many unknown things that can happen and you can never be prepared for everything,” Mudd said. “Be prepared as much as you can, but also have an open mind when it comes to the next step in your life and be open to trying new things.”
ZOE BROWN Staff Reporter @zoe_zoebrown Macy Hankel is graduating this year — the first in her family to do so. As a middle school education major, Hankel said she firmly believes education is the best tool anyone can have. “As a first-generation college student, I knew that my education was going to be the catalyst to the change in my family tree,” Hankel said. “This is ultimately what drew me to education in the first place — I want to help foster that change in others.” The hardest part of being a first-generation college student isn’t the paperwork or the classes, Hankel said. She said the biggest struggle is the mental game you play with your self-worth. “I have to constantly remind myself that I deserve this and I worked hard for it,” Hankel said. “I don’t like the spotlight to be on me, but this is the time for me to shine.” For Hankel, it’s a constant battle between feeling proud and being worried about the future. “Since I have changed the statistics for my family, I don’t want to disappoint anyone, so every step I make is highly calculated,” Hankel said. After graduating this month, Hankel will serve as a member of Teach for America, whose mission is to help close the education equity gap. Aside from knowing that she wanted to be a teacher, Hankel said she wanted to join Teach for America because the organization believes that one day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. “This belief is a driving force in my life, so being part of a whole network of those invested in this dream is a no-brainer,” Hankel said. As a corps member, Hankel has committed to teaching for two years in a low-income community. According to their website, Teach for America has around 2,500 school partners around the country and 60,000 corps members and alumni. Hankel will be serving in Indianapolis, Indiana, teaching seventh and eighth grade social studies. Before starting their full-time teaching positions, all corps members must attend a training program called “institute.” Hankel’s training will be in Houston, Texas. “I’m beyond excited to experience a Houston summer and join with dozens of other goal-minded corps members,” Hankel
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Macy Hankel is the first in her family to graduate college.
said. According to the Teach for America website, the training consists of a five to seven day regional induction, five to seven weeks of teaching summer school and then a one or two week long orientation to the region they’ll be teaching in during the year. “We will be completing training focused around what it means to end educational inequities, identify and close opportunity gaps and other best practices for the classroom,” Hankel said. During her time at MSU, Hankel was involved in Student Government Association, SOAR, Traditions Council, Gamma Phi Beta, Collegiate Middle Level Association and Homecoming Committee. “Something that Missouri State gave me that could never be taken away, isn’t a degree,” Hankel said. “Rather, it’s friendships, confidence and happiness unlike I ever thought possible.” Hankel said the most exciting thing about graduation is becoming the person she’s always wanted to be. “My life has been a lot of ups and downs, but something that has always rang true is my ambition to make the world better and live a life l love,” Hankel said.
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McQueary College of Health and Human Services
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Danielle Allison (left) and her sister Andrea work in the Drury athletic training room. Danielle is doing clinical hours, and Andrea works as a certified athletic trainer with the Drury softball team.
Classmates, coworkers, sisters EMILY COLE News Editor @EMCole19 Sometimes people describe their academic departments as family. For Danielle and Andrea Allison, that couldn’t be closer to the truth. The sisters are both graduating this semester from the same department — Andrea with a Master of Science in Athletic Training and Danielle with a bachelor’s in the same program. Both of their journeys to Missouri State University started with a class Andrea took at Lee’s Summit West High School. Andrea said she accidentally joined a class called First Aid that she thought would focus on CPR. “On the first day (the teacher) walked in and said ‘Welcome to First Aid in Athletic Training,’ and I went ‘What the heck did I get myself into? What is this?’” Andrea said. “But I loved the class, and I was super into health care. I wanted to be a nurse. I loved it.”
After the class, Andrea interned at the school, assisting an athletic trainer with the high school’s football team. Despite enjoying the athletic training experience, Andrea came to Missouri State as a nursing major. However, she soon discovered she didn’t like that major at all. So, after talking with an adviser, she went back to something she loved — athletic training. While Andrea was spending her first two years at MSU, Danielle was following in her sister’s footsteps by shadowing the athletic trainer at Lee’s Summit West. Then, when it was time for her to go to college, she did what she said she’d been doing her whole life — she followed her sister. “I think from the younger perspective, it’s been super cool just to watch her go through everything first, kind of like we’ve done our whole life,” Danielle said. Danielle came to MSU as an athletic training major, and for two years, the sisters worked in the same program.
Andrea graduated in 2017 with her bachelor’s but stuck around to complete her master’s. Andrea described working in the same program with her sister as “crazy fun.” The girls said they’ve always been close growing up, and they only disconnected slightly when Andrea was away at school before Danielle moved down. “Me moving down here, we definitely became a lot closer and have that one friend that we could always count on to do stuff with,” Danielle said. “I think it’s super cool that through our program, although we’re so alike, we’ve also been able to see our differences, because I fell in love with the high school setting, and she loves the college setting.” While earning her master’s degree, Andrea has been working at Drury University as a certified athletic trainer. Right now, she’s working with the softball team. u Read the full story at the-standard.org
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College of Humanities and Public Affairs
Master’s graduate motivated by passion for students GRETA CROSS Staff Reporter @gretacrossphoto Danielle Thompson’s bright, energetic personality began to shine through as soon as she took a seat, excited to share her future plans after graduating as a Missouri State Bear. Thompson is in her second year of the religious studies master’s program and will be graduating this May. After graduation, Thompson will begin work as a college adviser for the Missouri College Advising Corps, also known as MCAC. The two-year program is based out of the University of Missouri in Columbia. MCAC hires recent college graduates to work in 48 partnering high schools across Missouri, according to University of Missouri. MCAC college advisers work alongside high school guidance counselors to help students discover what will benefit them best after high school. This may be attending a traditional college or trade school, entering the workforce or joining the military. “It really just helps those students find
what they’re passionate about and what could be a good option for them,” Thompson said. Thompson said she heard about MCAC through a friend and was contacted by the program during the application period, as they were in search of recent graduates to make college advisers. She applied, interviewed over spring break and was informed she received the position in April. Over the next two years, Thompson will work as a college adviser at St. James High School. During the second week of May she will be given a tour of the high school, along with meeting counseling staff and students for the first time. She expressed excitement about working at St. James High School. St. James is a small, rural town, similar to her hometown, Vienna, Missouri. “It’s rural kids,” Thompson said. “It’s people I’m used to. It’s that kind of atmosphere that I’m really used to that I work really well in.” Currently, Thompson works as a graduate teaching assistant for First-Year Programs, which she has done for two years. Previously, she worked as a peer leader with
first year students. “I’m getting to do what I do now, but from the other side of it,” Thompson said, describing her future work as a MCAC college adviser. Thompson said her interest in advising students sparked when she began work as a peer leader on campus, helping students get the full college experience. “Whenever I was working as a peer leader in undergrad, I really just developed a passion for working with students, and that’s something that moving forward as a GA, I wasn’t sure if this is what I wanted to do,” Thompson said. “I started teaching, and I started advising students unofficially and I was like, ‘I love this so much.’” Thompson’s ultimate career goal is to work with students, helping them either prepare for college or get adjusted to the college lifestyle. “So, (my) long-term goal would be working as a college advisor, working in first-year programs somewhere,” Thompson said. “I want to serve people, whether it’s in a college setting or in a high school setting … because I just have such a passion for it.”
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Danielle Thompson graduates with a master’s degree in religious studies.
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College of Natural and Applied Sciences
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Chris Klenke is graduating with a double major in general math and physics, with an emphasis in astronomy and astrophysics.
Physics, general math in five years — now what? CARISSA ALFORD Staff Reporter @carissabalford After five years of hard work, continuous involvement in student activities and impressive research, Chris Klenke is finally ready to graduate. Klenke is a senior double majoring in general math and physics, with an emphasis in astronomy and astrophysics, and a computer science minor. He said he likes math and physics for reasons other than the typical, “there’s always a right answer.” “The way you explain the world and everything in our daily lives, you do with math,” Klenke said. “Physics is the application of that and I think that’s really cool.” Klenke has studied at Missouri State for five years due to his double major. He said it took a long time to finish, but everything was worth it. During some of his math classes, he realized that he wasn’t applying the math to physics, but decided to keep going because he enjoyed the classes so much. However, the journey hasn’t all been
smooth sailing. “I’ve had a math class where I was going into a final thinking, ‘Man, I have no idea about anything in the whole class,’” Klenke said. “I felt like I really squandered that class and didn’t approach it right or try hard enough.” After being upset with himself and thinking he failed the course, he ended up passing with a C. One of the upsides from his academic career at Missouri State University was getting accepted into the doctoral program for physics at the University of Arkansas. “I would not have been able to do that without my opportunities here,” Klenke said. He has also done multiple research projects. He studied certain atoms’ and molecules’ behavior in certain environments, got second place at a conference when his presentation didn’t work and was on a research team that discovered a planet in another solar system. “I answered a lot of my personal philosophical questions about the history of the universe,” Klenke said. Klenke loves astronomy because it makes humans feel insignificant. u Read the full story at the-standard.org
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College of Arts and Letters
Non-traditional student works toward degree to reinvent herself REESE RADMACHER Staff Reporter @Reese_Radmacher Today, when a degree is often considered essential when contemplating a future career, it can be easy to forget about a time where it was not unusual to achieve success without one. For Hope Suttles, a non-traditional student graduating this May, a degree isn’t seen as an inevitable next step, but rather, a chance to reinvent herself. Suttles is working toward a degree in digital film and television production with a minor in screenwriting. Suttles said she has always yearned to get a degree but is fairly certain that if she would have begun traditionally, she would have given it up for something else, such as marriage. “Even then, I wanted to go, but I didn’t really know how, and I didn’t know who to talk to or what to do,” Suttles said. “Back then, it was different because they didn’t push it in high school like they do now.” Although her father attended college for a few years before making a name for himself as an engineer, Suttles said she will be the first to graduate college in her family. Following the birth of her first daughter at 22 years old,
“I never felt like I wanted to throw in the towel because this was my opportunity, and I knew that if I didn’t do it now, it probably wouldn’t happen.” Suttles enrolled at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, and stayed for a couple semesters before deciding to leave after the birth of her second daughter. Later, after relocating to Springfield with her mother, grandmother and two daughters, Suttles enrolled at Missouri State University two separate times, each ending for the sake of family. As the saying goes, third time’s the charm. Suttles returned to MSU following her time as a floral manager at Dillons Food Store. Also around this time, Suttles married her current husband, who she said is excited and open to whatever happens next.
“I’m thankful, really, because we have a close relationship,” Suttles said. “I can see where some people go back to school (who) are married, and there’s a little bit of separation that takes place.” Suttles will not deny, however, the hard work it takes to balance all aspects of life while trying to be a diligent student, especially as someone in their later years. “People don’t know, they really don’t, what it entails,” Suttles said. “It was hard to juggle sometimes, but I never felt like I wanted to throw in the towel because this was my opportunity, and I knew that if I didn’t do it now, it probably wouldn’t happen.” Since she was a kid, Suttles said she aspired to be a screenwriter. Suttles attributes her creativity to her mother who was a published writer and artist. Though she ventured into screenwriting on her own accord, Suttles said she couldn’t help but wonder what a few classes could do. Ensuing graduation, Suttles said she would like to try her hand at filmmaking and is open to following that pursuit wherever it may lead. “I would encourage people that are older to reinvent themselves,” Suttles said. “But be prepared because it’s going to take a lot out of you, and you’re not a spring chicken.”
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Graduate College
‘Wonder woman’ Ashley Foley graduates early with honors KATHRYN DOLAN Staff Reporter @kathryndolan98 Graduation is upon us and Ashley Foley, a senior political science major, will be completing her undergraduate degree program one year early with honors. Foley found out she was pregnant last February, and gave birth to her daughter, Amelia, in October one week after midterms. “I didn’t get much of a break,” Foley said. “I went back to my classes two weeks after I had her.” Despite feeling ill all throughout her pregnancy, Foley stayed enrolled in all of her classes and ended up with a 3.8 GPA last semester. Foley said this semester has been especially challenging having a newborn at home while also being enrolled in 18 credit hours. “Amelia is a really good baby,” Foley said. “She sleeps through the night and barely cries, but she’s still a huge distraction.” Foley says when she’s at home she doesn’t get much school work done because Amelia requires a lot of attention. She gets most of her work done at school, sometimes spending up to 12 hours at a time on campus. Foley and her fiancé Ben Welch just closed on a house, and Foley said she had three papers due during the moving process last week. Foley is currently enrolled in an accelerated graduate program for global studies and has had Ashley Leinweber as a professor three times. Leinweber is an associate professor in the political science department and specializes in international and African politics. Foley said she wants to teach political science at a university someday to have a part in instructing future politicians and researchers. Leinweber said graduating early with honors is an admirable feat for any student to accomplish, but Foley’s success is especially impressive due to all of the challenges she faced and overcame during her time as a student at Missouri State. “She’s a really good student,” Leinweber said. “She’s consistent about turning in her assignments, you’d really never know she has a pretty significant disability.” Foley was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder that involves a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina, when she was born. Foley said she had better sight when she was
younger, but now her central vision is gone. “I can’t really see straight ahead,” Foley said. “I see more out of the corners of my eyes, but it’s not very detailed.” Foley uses Apple screen reading technology to complete most of her homework. She said this makes skimming the text impossible so she has to listen to readings in entirety, which can be very time-consuming. Leinweber says Foley requires very few accommodations in the classroom and is very independent. “Her disability does not define her in any way, shape or form,” Leinweber said. “She’s wonder woman.” Foley said when she does need assistance, the staff at Missouri State have been very helpful in regards to her disability. The disability research center recently worked with Leinweber to create a raised braille map of Africa so Foley could complete a test over the location of African countries. Foley says she often deals with people’s ignorant comments and assumptions about her disability. Foley said people say things about her in front of her, acting as if she is unable to hear them. She said there is a difference between asking curious questions about her disability and making judgmental comments. Foley said when she’s out with her daughter, she uses a chest carrier with a diaper bag on her back, making her hands free to use her cane. Foley said there are often people she encounters that want to help too much. “I’ll just be walking and someone will grab my arm to help me cross a street,” Foley said. “I don’t need that, I know how to cross a street.” Foley said despite some people’s ignorance, she is grateful for all of the understanding people in her life, especially her fiancé. Welch drives Foley to and from campus and takes care of their daughter when he gets off work from his job as a welder. “Ashley can do almost anything,” Welch said. “We go bowling, I help her aim but beyond that it’s all her, we also went putt putt golfing last fall and she beat me.” Welch said Foley is very good at getting things done, he said if she says she going to do something she always follows through. “People have always told me I can’t do things because I’m visually impaired,” Foley said. “My biggest motivation has been proving them wrong.”
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