April 20, 2020
Undaunted by life's happenings
MIS major Debbie Foley, learning from home, undaunted
Management Information Systems (MIS) major Deborah Foley is the perfect definition of #PirateStrong, #Undaunted. Her journey to East Carolina University started 30 years ago in Massachusetts when she tried to finish her undergraduate degree during a time where she says, “life started.” That life includes a marriage, several attempts at different colleges and a son.
Once Michael was born, he was her focus. “I wanted to enjoy his childhood,” she said. Life continued, and she and her 7-year-old son moved to Marshville, North Carolina, where she focused on him until he graduated high school.
Life Happens
In July 2016, Debbie was diagnosed with colon cancer. From September to December of that year, radiation and chemotherapy treatments became part of her life. Undaunted, she continued to focus on her son and his college pursuits, then she remembered a certain dream.
“I remembered that one dream I had when I promised my mother I would get my degree,“ said Foley. “I kept thinking, ‘What am I waiting for?’ All those college visits in March and April (with my son) made me regret I had not finished (college). It was then I decided to stop regretting and do something. The cancer was removed, and my follow-up treatment was finished.”
Three Billboards around eastern North Carolina
Foley then looked at numerous online programs both in and outside of North Carolina. She spoke with friends who completed their degrees online and described their experiences as not that bad.
“On my way to work one morning, I saw a billboard promoting ECU as the leader in online education,” said Foley. “On the way home, there was another one. For the next week, it seemed that ECU was popping up everywhere on billboards. Being a believer in signs, I figured I should at least check it out.”
Michael Foley and Debbie Foley
Foley looked into the MIS concentration in the College of Business. She thought the degree path would align nicely with the career path she is charting at Atrium Health, where she currently works as a senior application specialist.
“I did a lot of research on the ‘leader in online education’ to see what others thought,” Foley said. “I was impressed with the feeling of being a student of the college even though (some) students were not physically on campus. What I read was mostly positive, and I believe the negative ones were people who thought this would be easy or weren’t willing to put in the time. The support and resources touted about ECU gave me confidence that I could complete my degree and feel like I would learn a lot.”
Life happens, again
In 2018, Foley had an appendectomy while completing her studies. Then, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Foley learned she had a recurrence of colon cancer and will start chemotherapy in May.
During all of this, she still completed her course work.
“I credit a lot of my strength to (being a positive) person,” said Foley. “Once I commit to something, I rarely let it go.”
In person and in spirit, Joanne Henry Letourneau was with her daughter, Debbie Foley, during all of Debbie’s life happenings.
Faith and a self-reflective attitude also help Foley moving forward.
“I know that some people say, ‘Why me,’ but I tend to think, ‘Why not me,’” Foley said. “There is a reason for me to have endured what I have. I may never know if it inspires someone else to keep going or change their path in life. All I can do is do the best that I can to be the best person that I can and allow God to work through me.”
She added, “Maybe all someone needs to hear is that it can be done, and it will change their attitude.”
The latter can be a powerful message for current COB students who are now experiencing uncertain times, a pandemic environment that has disrupted routines, instilled fear and readjusted futures.
Breathe
Foley, always positive and moving forward, has sound words of wisdom for those COB students.
“When things get to be too much, take a deep breath,” Foley said. “I survived cancer, an appendectomy and a recurrence of cancer. Whenever I got to the ‘why is this happening to me’ part, I take a breath. Sometimes it also helped just to take a 5- or 10-minute walk. Getting away from the situation and allowing the emotion to calm down will allow you to think.”
“It always leads to a better outcome,” added Foley.
Foley is slated to graduate in the Fall of 2020. She’ll be 54 years old.
She is Pirate Strong.
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