Independence Day Takes on Additional Meaning for Graduate
Cayli Harrod revels in her accomplishments as she celebrates earning her bachelor's degree from BVU. Her final day of classes showed extra cause for celebration as it coincided with the Fourth of July.
As the United States celebrated Independence Day on July 4, Cayli (Newton) Harrod ’21 toasted herself as she reached a milestone in her academic and personal journey, that of a Buena Vista University graduate.
Her celebration was a quiet one, an evening spent watching fireworks where she and husband Zakry Harrod relocated this spring, in Hawaii!
“My degree is in psychology and human services,” Harrod says. “I’m doing an internship in Hawaii while Zakry works for eBikes Hawaii. We’re loving it here!”
As Harrod joined the number of BVU alumni in Hawaii (there are Beavers in all 50 states), she reflected on a complicated path in achieving her bachelor’s degree, one marked by family tragedy, determination, and a key member of the BVU’s extensive support network.
After graduating from Estherville-Lincoln Central High School in 2015, Harrod studied art at Iowa Lakes Community College. She also worked full-time as an emergency room registration specialist at Lakes Regional Hospital in Spirit Lake. In 2017, she enrolled at BVU and took classes online through the University’s site in Spencer. She also switched jobs and began working at Seasons Center in the behavioral health area.
“My mom, Kristen Newton, got breast cancer in 2017 and was sick for a year or so,” Harrod remembers. “The disease was very aggressive. Mom was only 48 when she died in 2018.”
Harrod, the oldest of 10 siblings in her blended family, helped her parents during her mother’s bout with cancer by caring for younger brothers and sisters as they headed to and from practices and activities in Lake Park and the Iowa Great Lakes. When Kristen’s fight necessitated a stay in a Sioux Falls hospital, Harrod drove to and from Sioux Falls multiple times per week, sometimes on a daily basis. She kept working and helping their father manage the household.
“[Cayli] came in and told me about all that she was trying to manage. I admired her as she had so much responsibility. I loved that she was the person her brothers and sisters needed.”
Peggy Bates, Assistant Director of Student Success
“I was burning the candle at both ends,” says Harrod, explaining how she, as a straight-A student, failed a pair of classes. “Emotionally, I wasn’t there for my classes. Physically, I wasn’t either.”
Even though Harrod was close to completing her bachelor’s degree at that point, she decided to take time away from BVU while focusing on her family.
“I knew something was wrong based on Cayli’s midterm grades in a couple of courses, so I had her stop by and asked her how she was doing,” says Peggy Bates, Assistant Director of Student Success. “She came in and told me about all that she was trying to manage. I admired her as she had so much responsibility. I loved that she was the person her brothers and sisters needed. I also knew she needed to focus on her family and herself. I let her know it was OK to step away from classes for a period of time.”
Bates’ mother died when Bates was nine years old. She reflected on the absence of a support system as she grew up. She continued to offer encouragement to Harrod.
“I felt I knew something about what Cayli was going through,” says Bates. “I wanted her to know that BVU, as well as I, would be there for her in whatever way she needed us. I also knew she really needed to take some time for herself.”
As Harrod focused on her family and her needs for a year or so, Bates kept in touch, offering encouragement. She repeatedly said, “Everyone deserves a break. Take care of yourself. We’re here when you’re ready to return.”
In March 2019, Harrod returned to class. She resumed her straight-A academic tradition and continued working, attending classes that aligned flexibly with her work schedule. She and Zakry wed in September 2020.
“Those two classes I failed earlier were classes I passed with flying colors the second time around,” she says. “BVU professors and Peggy were great, especially Peggy, who has been right there with anything I needed.”
Harrod transitioned from the Seasons Center to a job as a dispatcher for the City of Spencer. She used her training and personal experience in staying calm as people dialed 911 in a state of panic. Her dream job involves working for a crisis intervention team. She’ll explore those opportunities later this summer as a graduate of BVU.
Until that time, however, there was something else: a party to plan.
“My mom didn’t throw me a graduation party when I finished high school,” Harrod says. “She told me we’d have a big party when I graduated from college.”
That party, one might say, coincided with the country’s birthday bash, a day of celebration featuring parades, feasts, and fireworks at dusk. As Harrod talked about watching the rockets’ red glare, she considered where she’d been and where she was about to go.
“I’d love to work for a crisis intervention team, serving people in the crisis area of psychology,” she says. “My mom and I were very close. So, maybe in a way, she was helping me to prepare for my career.”
Bates, the confidante in the office serving BVU, smiles and forecasts greatness for one of the University’s most recent graduates.
“Cayli continued to be there for her siblings when they needed her most,” Bates says. “They will tell her someday how lucky they were to have her strength, her determination, and her heart. She will now begin her career helping others in need. She’ll love doing it.”