From doubt to determination: A Southern State success story

By Elizabeth Burkard
Director of Marketing
Southern State Community College

When Yvonne Price first walked into Southern State Community College, she was uncertain, overwhelmed, and still recovering from brain surgery she had undergone four years earlier. Speaking was difficult, finding the right words was a challenge, and confidence did not come easy. Her goal was simple–take one class and see if she could handle it.
 
That plan changed quickly.
 
After meeting with an advisor at Southern State, Price left campus enrolled in not only one class, but five classes.
 
“I remember thinking: Should I really believe in myself?” Price said. “Am I going to fail?”
 
She showed up anyway.
 
College was not easy for Price. She struggled, especially in math, which made pursuing an accounting degree feel unrealistic. There were moments Price questioned everything, recalling the day she sat on a bench in the campus hallway in tears, wondering why she had even tried. It was in that moment that a turning point occurred.
 
Dr. Peggy Chalker, Southern State’s Brown County Campus Director, sat down beside her. Dr. Chalker took the time to listen and connected Price with a teacher who went out of his way to help, even though he did not teach her class. Along with the support from a faculty member who stayed after class to work with her, Price began to push through the challenges that once felt impossible.
 
“All of the staff at Southern State did not have to help me,” Price said. “But they did!”
 
At Southern State, Price found more than an education—she found support. Whether studying on campus to stay focused or working in the tutoring space at the Central Campus in Hillsboro, she felt welcomed and encouraged. Surrounded by students of all ages, she realized she was not alone in her journey.
 
In December 2017, Yvonne graduated from Southern State with an Associate of Applied Business degree in accounting—something she had once been told might never be possible.
 
“I could not believe it,” Price said. “Doctors had told me I would not succeed because of my surgery.”
 
Around the time of graduation at Southern State, Price considered stopping there. But a question from Travis Martin, her accounting professor, changed her perspective – “In two years, will you be happy where you are, or wish you had kept going?” That question pushed her forward.
 
Transferring over 70 credits from Southern State, Price went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in 2019, followed by her master’s degree in 2022.
 
Today, Yvonne works for a non-profit organization that helps guide students toward their own futures, helping them explore careers and find the paths that fit them best. Her message to all individuals is simple and honest – “I will never tell someone they cannot do something. I will tell them it might be hard—but if they really want it, they can find a way.”
 
Looking back, Price knows her journey might have ended differently without Southern State.
 
“Sometimes all it takes is one place, one person, or one moment to change your life,” she said. “For me, that was Southern State.”

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