Student Spotlight: Sapphire

Many high school students who are bullied can take refuge at home, but Sapphire also had to deal with an abusive mother. When she turned 18, she left home and, unfortunately, stepped into another abusive relationship — this time, a marriage.

“As soon as we were married, he told me that I was no longer allowed to finish school,” Sapphire said. “I couldn’t go back; he literally moved me away. He had the vehicle, and I couldn’t go anywhere.”

After years of abuse from her mother and multiple partners, Sapphire fought her way to freedom and earned her high school diploma at age 30.

“They say abuse usually travels with you — it does,” Sapphire said. “Thankfully, I’m out of that cycle now, and my fiancé told me that if education is something I want to pursue, he’s all for it!”

With a supportive partner and ambitions to one day earn a doctoral degree, Sapphire dove headfirst into the Marian Pathway to a Degree program and finished the classes required for her diploma in a matter of weeks. She finally became a high school graduate after waiting 12 years.

“Before getting my diploma, I felt like I was different from others, like I couldn’t accomplish things,” Sapphire said. “This has already changed. I sat here after I got the phone call that I’d graduated. I literally screamed because I was so happy!”

Sapphire was accepted into Marian University’s online psychology program and started classes in the Summer 2021 semester. She hopes to continue her studies with a master’s degree in social work and a doctorate in psychology.

“I want to do social work, but at the same time, I want to be a counselor. I’m actually thinking about going into trauma therapy,” Sapphire said. “I want to turn all of my bad experiences into good ones.”