If not for a simple question from a Utah Valley University student, Amy Saville might never have been brave enough to return to school herself.
If not for a simple question from a Utah Valley University student, Amy Saville might never have been brave enough to return to school herself.
Saville was working for UVU as an internship coordinator and giving a presentation about choosing an internship when a student asked where she had completed her own internship. She got quiet for a moment, because at the time, she hadn’t completed a college degree herself and had never served an internship.
“It’s crazy how a single question can change your life,” she said. “At that moment, I realized I was preaching something I almost had no business talking about, because I hadn’t experienced it or done the work.”
The question sparked Saville's desire to overcome her fear and take advantage of being a UVU employee by pursuing a degree. In 2018, she started with one class per semester and slowly started chipping away, knowing she didn’t have to follow anyone’s timetable but her own.
Saville was the first in her family to receive a bachelor’s degree, and she said she’s proud to have achieved something just for her, in addition to her work as a mother and her career. The flexible schedule of her classes at UVU made that possible, so she could work during the day and be home for her kids at night.
One of the few face-to-face classes Saville took was on leadership, which she said she uses every day in her work.
“It definitely made me a better leader,” Saville said. “And four or five of those students that I did that class with were the ones I walked with when I graduated.”
Saville said it was difficult balancing work, family life, and school — but completing a bachelor’s degree was worth it.
“UVU gave me my education in two ways,” she said. “The doors that have opened for me are way bigger than I imagined.”
For more information on UVU online programs and resources, visit uvu.edu/online.
