By: Mary Olk
Elizabeth Quinn knew two things for certain in high school -- she wanted to work in health care, and she was determined to have a traditional college experience, even though her start to college wasn't what she saw as a traditional path.
Quinn became a mom at 19 years old. Her son was born the day after her birthday and just a couple of months after she graduated high school. She raised him mostly alone, and knew if she could make it through that, she could make it through anything.
As she navigated motherhood for the first time, her determination to go to college didn;t dwindle. She enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College part time in the health care support program, and she continued to get promoted at the local restaurant where she worked. Quinn continued to work full time and take classes part time for seven years -- and continued to grow her family. But her sights had always been set on attending IUPUI.
Fast forward to spring 2020, Quinn was working 60 hours per week as a shift supervisor at the restaurant and navigating a pandemic.
"I had an 'ah-ha' moment one day -- this wasn't what I wanted to do," Quinn said. "My job was supposed to be temporary and a way to get me through school, but it was becoming my main focus. And it wasn't even related to health care and what I wanted to do."
Quinn has always had the philosophy of being a mom first and succeeding in school second, and she knew it was time to finally transfer to IUPUI and continue her dreams. As she was wrestling with her next steps, she was sitting in her car trying to decompress after a long day at work and got an email reminding her to complete her FAFSA.
"If there was ever a sign from the universe to make the jump, this was it," she said. "I gave my two-week notice at my job, and I wasn't even fully accepted to IUPUI. But I told myself to just go for it, even if I failed."
She was admitted to the Fairbanks School of Public Health in the health services management program at 27 years old, and she hasn’t looked back. She attributes much of her success to the welcoming, caring environment she's encountered at IUPUI.