Journey to Commencement: Victoria Huggins Peurifoy
Journey to Commencement: Victoria Huggins Peurifoy
Commencement is right around the corner! We are thrilled to highlight some of our upcoming graduates and share their stories, in their own words, with our Journey to Commencement series.
Today’s feature is Victoria Huggins Peurifoy, a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Management program.
My journey to commencement has had numerous challenges. One challenge I faced was not attending school since 1993, when I graduated from the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). During my time at CCP, my mother passed away and her homegoing services were on the night of my graduation, so I never had the opportunity to walk at graduation. At age 55, I retired from the Internal Revenue Service, and at the age of 67, in 2018, I decided to go back to school to secure my bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Management at Peirce.
Once enrolled at Peirce, all of my plans were going well. I planned to celebrate big milestones in 2022, graduating with my bachelor’s degree and my 70th birthday. However, as fate would have it, in 2020, the pandemic hit, and even with all of my efforts to protect myself, I contracted Covid-19. My battle with Covid-19 was complicated by pneumonia and a virus in my bloodstream. For 30 days, I was in the hospital on a respirator and ventilator. For 10 days, I was in a nursing home for rehab because I could not walk, from being down for so long. When I came home, I still struggled to walk, smell anything, or taste my food, and I suffered from serious brain fog. Yet, all I could think about was returning to my classes and finishing my program.
God had found favor in me, and I did not want to disappoint. I was blessed to have a wonderful counselor in Theresa Davis, who had advised me to wait until I was fully recovered, but I was on a mission that had to be completed. So, now this journey ends with me finishing my degree at Peirce College and I am thrilled to be walking across the stage on my own two feet. It does not even matter that I will be 71 years old graduating, I will have accomplished my dream…I will receive my degree. Thank you, Jesus, Thank you, Lord.
– Victoria Huggins Peurifoy
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