This text tells the story of Tonie and Tylan Dee,a mother and son who both pursued higher education at Utah State University (USU) Blanding,with their journeys being both challenging and ultimately rewarding.
Tonie Dee’s journey:
Initial Challenges: Tonie found the beginning of her academic journey arduous, particularly adjusting to Zoom meetings and time management. She almost gave up.
Motivation: Despite the initial struggles, she persevered and was honored to address students at USU Blanding’s convocation exercises.
Key Message: Her advice to fellow graduates was to not let obstacles deter them and to embrace challenges.
Tylan Dee’s Journey:
Nontraditional Path: Tylan’s academic path was also unconventional. He graduated high school as valedictorian but dropped out of his undergraduate program with low grades and worked in a cafeteria.
Return to Education: Years later, a job in the admissions office at USU Blanding inspired him to return to school.
Academic Success: He found that “things just clicked” and achieved straight As, gaining momentum. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree 14 years after high school.
Benefit of Experience: Tylan sees his delayed graduation as an advantage in his role as an academic advisor,allowing him to relate to adult learners who are returning to education after a break.
Recognition: He was named USU’s Outstanding New Advisor of the Year in 2024.
Graduate Studies: He unexpectedly pursued the same online graduate program in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences as his mother.
Interest in Technology: His interest in technology fueled his choice of program.
Graduate Achievements: During his master’s program, he received the 2024 ITLS master Scholar of the Year award and began teaching the Habits of Academic Success class. He found teaching enjoyable and grew in his ability.
Doctoral Pursuit: After completing his master’s degree, he immediately started a doctoral program in higher education leadership and governance at the University of Utah, focusing on supporting Indigenous students.
Motivation for Doctorate: He felt if he didn’t pursue it then, he might not later.
Mother-Son Connection:
Mutual Support: tylan expresses immense pride and fulfillment in supporting his mother’s educational journey, seeing it as a full-circle moment. He believes supporting her is one of the greatest things he could do, especially since she has always been there for him.
* Shared Experience: While their paths were different, they both navigated nontraditional routes to higher education and found success.
In essence, the text highlights the resilience, personal drive, and the strong supportive relationship between Tonie and Tylan Dee as they both achieved significant academic milestones through unconventional and inspiring paths.
