"At my lowest point, I finally realized I could continue washing my clothes in the bathtub and praying that some angel would pay my bills before the utilities were shut off, or go back to school.

"At Weber State, I had three Arts & Humanities faculty heroes who made sure that I never gave up. They nurtured my passion for reading and introduced me to new experiences and possibilities through literature and performing arts. They refused to accept "good enough" from me.

"One English professor even called at 10 o'clock one night demanding to know why I hadn't applied for a certain scholarship. She believed in me."