Portland State Magazine Fall 2014

FALL 2014 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 21 They couldn’t speak English, had only $500, and bought everything at Goodwill. “We felt as if we placed ourselves into a worse place than Ukraine even though we came to America to receive a better life,” she writes. Hard work eventually helped them overcome the hardships of starting over in America, and she came to see the move as a blessing. As a result, she writes, “I want to accomplish the optimum. I want to take every opportunity and chance coming my way.” ANOTHER STUDENT’S story that I found inspirational told of how she had to give up traditional classrooms after she was diagnosed with leukemia. She fought to find her way back to health and school. Six months into a chemotherapy regimen, she had a rare neurological reaction to the drugs and became paralyzed. Unable to walk or speak and barely able to breathe, she was admitted to the intensive care unit at Oregon Health & Science University for life-saving measures. With a lot of hard work, she regained her normal functions, but she had to complete much of her high school studies online from the hospital. “I was determined to rejoin my high school classmates and continue my education beyond high school,” she writes. “I craved to learn something beyond myself.” She returned to high school with a new respect for edu- cation, gratitude for the care she received, and “an indelible enthusiasm for the gift of life.” “After experiencing such a hardship with my cancer experi- ence, I am well-equipped to handle the academic challenges of the Honors College,” she writes. I have no doubt about that. As a whole, it impresses me that these students have risked so much and are so willing to continue to test boundaries and find new opportunities. I think they will be strong leaders on campus from the minute they step foot on the Park Blocks.  She had to give up traditional classrooms after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Ann Marie Fallon is director of the University’s Honors College, the only urban-focused honors college in the country. Learn more at pdx.edu/honors .