Photos by Rick D'Elia / Slideshow
With a childhood stained by abuse and alcoholism, LaTonya Glover began her life's journey on a rocky path.
So as she grew up, she insisted her future would look different.
Now she is a Grand Canyon University graduate with a master’s degree in substance abuse counseling, and she's ready to help and heal those who share a similar background.
“As I got older, my rocky past made me want to do something to help other people,” said Glover, an online student who drove from Amarillo, Texas, to participate in her GCU commencement ceremony on Friday morning.
She watched her mother tirelessly work multiple jobs to provide for their family, sometimes even turning to women's shelters for additional assistance. When Glover became a teenage mom, she knew she had to do the same.
Unexpected parenthood, financial struggles and unhealthy relationships blocked Glover’s road to academic success.
“My life vision was always through domestic abuse,” Glover said. “Early on, I dropped out of college because of an abusive relationship and later went through a bad divorce, so I had to raise my four boys by myself and think of a way to take care of them.”
Fresh out of high school, Glover wanted to become a nurse, but an abusive relationship waylaid those dreams. She dropped out of college as a freshman and was worried that poor grades would leave a negative impression on school administrators if she decided to return.
“In actuality, I didn’t intentionally have bad grades, I just wasn’t able to focus at the time when I got fresh out of high school. I woke up one morning and had an epiphany. I was thinking, 'What I am going to do with myself and with my life?'”
She decided it was time to let go of her past and let God pave her future.
“They say God leads us in different directions, and it was like a light went off. I got up and registered at a local community college.”
She took two courses at a time, and as her confidence grew, she added more courses.
“I increased my classes as I went along, and I worked to pay for classes until I was able to get off that academic probation from past grades. I have been full speed ahead ever since.”
A bachelor’s degree from West Texas University in 2017 marked the beginning of a rigorous academic journey. She proceeded with graduate-level courses at the University of Texas at Arlington and earned her first master’s degree in social work in 2019.
Eager to test the limits, she began her second master’s degree in substance abuse counseling at GCU in 2023. After her son’s father died in his senior year of high school, Glover spent a lot of time helping her son maneuver through online courses while grieving their loss.
“My mother is my inspiration,” Glover’s second oldest son, Lance Terry, said. “She has consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of obstacles, ultimately thriving as a result.”
As he was doing his online work, Glover was inspired to simultaneously work on another degree.
“I saw there was a need for substance abuse counseling at the hospital I work for and I thought I could do that online while I am helping my son do his online work.”
“This GCU degree means a lot to me, and I had a lot of support at GCU. Everybody seemed genuinely concerned for you. I could message my professors and say how this and that has changed in my life, and they would be understanding. I went through a divorce in the meantime, my father passed away, there’s just been so many obstacles. So it makes it more special for me to accomplish this.”
With a bachelor’s and two master's degrees, the list wouldn’t be complete without a doctoral degree. Glover began a Ph.D. program in organizational leadership at Abilene Christian University and hopes to finish in the next few years.
The compilation of her degrees is a redemptive culmination of Glover’s hard work and change in direction from the hopeless path she found herself on beginning in early childhood.
“She is the reason I am in college today,” Glover’s niece, Shlea Espy, said. “Seeing her push through challenges and never give up made me believe I could do the same.”
Glover’s heart is for women immersed in similar struggles. She hopes to use her knowledge and experience to provide the same support she and her mother experienced.
“I remember it to this day how my mom would go to a shelter. When I was working on my bachelor’s degree, I had the opportunity to work there part time. That is when I got the idea and thought, ‘What do I need to do to pursue this?’”
A place where women have somebody to talk to, receive counseling and mentorship, job opportunities and financial assistance is the type of shelter Glover hopes to create one day.
“All of this was nothing but God because I had no direction in life,” Glover said. “No matter what you are going through, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, and I would encourage younger students to always pray and put God first.”
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at Izabela.Fogarasi@gcu.edu
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