Ten years ago, Shannon and Jared Guymon were raising their blended family with seven children and an eighth on the way. Money was tight, and Jared felt stuck.
“I felt like I couldn’t go get a better job to support my family, but, at the same time, I didn’t know how I could go back to school.”
During a presentation about BYU-Pathway Worldwide, Jared followed an unexpected prompting to join. Having an online, low-cost program that allowed him to work and study began a cascading series of blessings for their entire family.
Jared earned the degree he dreamed of from BYU-Idaho through BYU-Pathway and became the project manager of a major general contractor. He was free to work less and be with his family more.
Inspired by her husband’s efforts, Shannon decided it was time for her to finish her education, so she joined after Jared graduated.
“It's been such an incredible blessing as a parent to be able to gain this education and have it so easily accessible as a full-time mom and not feel like I’m putting off that responsibility in favor of something else.”
In addition to being able to go back to school, she discovered even more blessings.
“BYU-Pathway has given me back a sense of who I am and the ability to live out the dreams that I have for myself and for my family.”
The blessings of education weren’t limited to just Shannon and Jared. Their daughter, Karly, decided to follow their example of achieving their educational dreams.
“Seeing my mom go and get this education and push herself to know who she is and to really do what she wants to do has given me so much strength.”
Having a gospel-centered education helped Karly continue her personal journey.
“Going to BYU-Pathway put me on the path that God wanted me to be on. It put me on the path to serve a mission for my church, and that wasn’t something I'd been considering before.”
The Guymons emphatically encourage everyone to experience the radical change they did for themselves and their family by attending BYU-Pathway.
Jared’s advice? “I remember going back, thinking, ‘How am I going to do this?’ But the way it was facilitated made it possible. So I would say don’t be afraid. You can do it.”
“BYU-Pathway especially sets you up for success,” Shannon explained. “Don’t feel like you can’t fit it in, because you absolutely can, and it will change your life.”
Learn more about BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and see how you can join more than 61,000 students in 180 countries who receive blessings for themselves and their families through their education.