A Non-Traditional ASU Graduate Overcomes Tragedy for a Brighter Future

Graduation signifies a time were students take their first steps towards their professional careers, and this produces excitement and anticipation. Not all graduates come from the same backgrounds, as colleges encourage students from all walks of life to attend. This includes non-traditional students who pursue a higher education while still providing for those who are dependent of them. These individuals must be student and parent, both of these requiring the same, if not more, dedication and persistence.  

Tanya Curiel has been a student at Angelo State University for close to four years, and is among the 850 students who will walk the stage at the 2 p.m. graduation ceremony on Saturday at the ASU Junell Center/Stephens Arena, 2235 S Jackson St. Her story is one of overcoming life’s many challenges.

“I didn’t do the greatest in high school, but I was able to graduate on time,” Curiel said, “I always wanted to do big things in life after school.”

Curiel mentioned that her mother was a single parent who also worked as a professional. She knew she could also accomplish this dream, even after having her first child, and having completed one full semester at college.

Curiel had her daughter at 20. Following her first birthday, Curiel's daughter, Gabby, had a major seizure, which resulted in her having development and medical issues. Gabby passed away just before her second birthday from medical negligence.

“It was really rough, and I became a drug addict for 14 years," said Curiel, describing her life after the loss of her daughter. "I’ve been clean for 10 years and started going back to school in the last six years.”  

Curiel started taking community college classes in her home state of Arizona for two years, and after receiving advice from her sister, she decided to attend college at ASU.

“I wanted to do something better with my life, but it took me awhile having kids in between,” she said. “I had never left Phoenix in those 40 years, and I just headed to [Angelo] four years ago.”

Since making this journey, Curiel said she changed her major to a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Business Management. She will be moving back to Arizona in the next two weeks, and will apply for jobs in the public sector of city government.

“It’s never too late to go back to school, even if you’re taking a class or two," said Curiel. "When I got to ASU, I had such great mentors that I finally decided on a major. I changed my major three times in the past."

Curiel added that it was not easy, but she just had to believe in herself and never give up.”                                                                                                                

Curiel is the single mother of three children. She has a 12-year-old son, Christopher, and a 7-year-old daughter, Bianca. Curiel also took guardianship of her nephew Ricky, who has been having epileptic seizures since he was six months old. Her nephew is currently 16 years old and is still epileptic, but hasn’t had a seizure in quite some time. Thus, dealing with all the hardships she's had to on a daily basis, while maintaining a full course load at ASU, hasn't been easy. She said though that she had a lot of support along the way. She had her mother and sister by her side cheering her on.

Overall, Curiel’s journey shows that facing challenges doesn’t mean it’s the end of a journey. By walking the stage this Saturday, she will stand as an example of somebody who took on life and came out holding her future in her own hands.  

For those people planning on attending Saturday's graduation ceremony, the first commencement will take place at 10 a.m., and will accompany college graduates in the following studies:

• College of Graduate Studies in the fields of Archer Health and Human Services and Education
• College of Education
• Archer College of Health and Human Services

The second ceremony begins at 2 p.m., and will consists of the following studies:

• College of Graduate Studies in the fields of Arts and Sciences and Business
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business