Skip to main content

Commencement 2022: Mom Kept Daughter on Path to Completion

 

Amy Woods hugs her mother Anne Woods

 

Amy Woods’ father, Casey Woods, wore his favorite cowboy hat. Her daughter Pearl picked out a dress to wear. Amy’s sister, Ronda Fisher, drove 700 miles from her home in North Platte, Nebraska to see her “baby girl” graduate.

 

Anne Woods, Amy’s mother, was there too, joining an entire Woods cheering section to witness Amy walk across the stage in her cap and gown at the Maverik Center May 6 during Salt Lake Community College’s Commencement Day. “All right,” Casey yelled above the crowd as his daughter approached. The event was a long time coming, and it wasn’t without emotion.

 

Amy Woods

Amy, who turns 40 in June, had children early. She graduated from high school in 2006 and started college in 2008. “And now here I am,” she said in front of her family after she and all the other SLCC graduates received their diplomas. “My mom really pushed me through this. She was my biggest support and help through all of it.”

 

With an associate’s degree in criminal justice in her back pocket, Amy has applied to a four-year school and hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in the same subject. She and her mom shed a few tears as they hugged, music blaring in the background, families and friends posing for photos with graduates, Pearl asking Mom to pick up blue and gold streamers off the ground for her.


Amy Woods' mother, Anne Woods (left) and sister, Ronda Fisher


Why did Anne push her daughter so hard? “Because I always knew she could do it,” she said, waterworks flowing. “I believed in her. Unless I had something urgent, I always made time for her whenever she needed help or encouragement.” Amy’s daughter Pearl, a third grader, is proud of Mom, who sometimes sat with her as they both did homework.

 

It was worth the long drive for her sister Ronda. “It was really exciting and so emotional,” she said about watching Amy walk across the stage in her commencement regalia. “It was thrilling to see all of the families encourage their students out here as well.” She paused to look at her sister. “I love her so much,” Ronda added. “I am so thrilled and overwhelmed, and really, really proud of her.”

 

Amy, who also works at SLCC as an administrative assistant in the college’s Institute of Public Safety, hopes someday to work in criminal forensics, possibly investigating crime scenes. Wiping away tears of joy, she said, “I’m just so glad and honored to be a part of SLCC.” 


The Amy Woods cheering section



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rev Up Your Future at SLCC Annuals Hop into College

SLCC West Valley Center will be opening its doors on Friday, August 2, from 6-9 pm for their annual lowrider event that celebrates the automotive culture and welcomes current, past, and future Bruins into the SLCC community. This unique event allows lowriders to showcase their vehicles and for spectators to witness the creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that goes into a lowrider car. From the sleek custom paint jobs to the impressive hydraulics showcased at the hop-off, attendees get immersed in the vibrant culture created by SLCC West Valley’s community. Beyond the car show, Hop into College provides prospective students and their families the opportunity to explore SLCC, engage with their future peers, staff and faculty and obtain valuable insight into the degrees and programs offered. Furthermore, the community is provided with countless beneficial resources not only as an SLCC student but as a community member. Whether interested in learning more about the lowrider community o...

SLCC Alumnus and U.S. Diplomat to Speak at 2025 Commencement

Salt Lake Community College’s 2025 Commencement speaker Branigan Knowlton will share his perspectives drawn from a 12-year career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. In serving his country, Knowlton has honed his foreign relations and diplomacy skills in Hong Kong, Mexico, Colombia and Italy. Knowlton is also a proud Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) alumnus (2002).     Knowlton currently serves at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Before reporting to the embassy, he was detailed to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport as part of the Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellowship program. In Bogotá, Knowlton worked for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, and in Hermosillo, Mexico, he worked for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. His first assignment abroad was in Hong Kong, where he worked for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.     "I've actively sought opportunities that push me into the unfamiliar, even when ...

Recognizing SLCC's 2025 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering

The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer is a recognition of quality work by one of Salt Lake Community College’s full-time faculty and a charge to develop that work over an academic year into a public presentation. A committee chosen by the Associate Provost for Learning Advancement selects the faculty lecturer each year. The lecture takes place in the spring. Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering Dr. Andrew Vogt’s teaching philosophy is guided by two principles, curiosity and efficiency.  “Curiosity leads us to study a topic and allows us to really understand the ins and outs of research, while efficiency is all about sustainability,” he says. Andrew describes curiosity as a pure, open-minded impulse to explore, such as the ease with which children learn new concepts with virtually no instruction. Efficiency adds maturity to that childlike impulse, creating structures and pathways for accomplishment.  Andrew’s work has alwa...