Joy Dea

Major: Communication
Hometown: St. Joseph, Missouri

Joy Deatherage, a nontraditional student, came to college to get a degree so she could get a good job to support herself and her four children. But as she is getting ready to graduate with a communication degree, she realizes she found so much more.

“My time at Missouri Western changed my life. When I came here, I was seeking a piece of paper, any piece of paper would do, so long as I could get a job interview. What I have received is a renewed and revitalized version of myself. A vision for my future, a vision of hope, a vision where anything is possible.”