20/20 Vision

Lauri Hughes was “struggling to see the possibilities” within herself when she began her college career as single parent raising a 12-year-old daughter. But after graduating from Mount Mercy College in 2000, Hughes now inspires others with her message of acceptance and inclusion.

Born with severe cataracts and glaucoma that left her totally blind at birth, Hughes always struggled to fit in with classmates in her hometown of Holy Cross, Iowa. Although she regained some sight as a child, she was left with severely impaired eyesight and a bulging eye that remained at risk of rupturing until 2005. She endured taunts and jeers from classmates because of her physical disability, which hampered her learning. She also was forced to confront and manage challenging situations at home – including the suicide of her mother, the untimely death of her father, and her family’s precarious financial situation – which resulted in Hughes caring for her two younger siblings as a surrogate parent. By the time she graduated from high school, her self-confidence was in the gutter and continuing her education was the last thing on her mind.

She married, relocated to California, and welcomed a child, Ashley. A second child was born premature and died. When Hughes moved back to her native Iowa she was a single parent living on a fixed income with few career prospects and zero self-worth. In order to “get a better job and a better life,” Hughes battled her fears and enrolled at Kirkwood Community College. Raised as a Catholic, Hughes “prayed for positive experiences” and that her impaired eye would be strong enough to allow her to study. She had no intention of pursuing further education after receiving an Associate’s Degree. The experience, however, was a positive one, and she found that she was “treated differently for having good grades” despite the fact that people still stared at her physical disability.

The foray back into education ultimately left her wanting more.

Hughes enrolled at Mount Mercy in 1998 to pursue a degree in Business Administration. The choice to continue her education would recast her future. She was attracted to the College because of its Catholic background and hoped that she would find a family on the hill. “I was raised in a faith-based home and was instilled with Christian belief early on, but growing up in a dysfunctional family I learned early on that I had to rely on faith to get me through,” she says. “What I learned at Mount Mercy is that there is a solid Christian component within each person at the College. There are compassionate and caring professors and staff, which made the educational experience even stronger.”

That belief was solidified on her first visit to campus to register for classes. It was during this visit that she would make her first personal connection with a member of the Mount Mercy community. Because registration took longer than expected, Hughes missed the public transportation connection that would take her back to her apartment. She stopped Professor of Business Kathryn Coulter in the hallway to ask if there was a phone she could use, explaining that she had missed the bus. What she received instead was an offer of a ride home, and the beginning of a professional relationship and personal friendship. “God put Kathryn as my adviser for so many reasons,” says Hughes. “Rather than make assumptions about me and my disability, she helped me and in the process made me feel like I belonged. She has a true passion and commitment for helping people, and it showed that day.”

As Hughes began her education at Mount Mercy, the classes and subject matter were not always easy for her – especially as she juggled raising her daughter. “Ashley would want to play and I had to say ‘no,’” Hughes says. “I had to step away from being a mom to study and to make sure I achieved my degree.” Challenging classes like Finite Mathematics made her question her ability to master the subject matter and pass the class, which she needed in order to graduate. Around each bend, she says, were Mount Mercy professors like Nancy Rhodes, an adjunct faculty member in mathematics, who “encouraged me to believe in myself.” When Hughes earned her MBA from the University of Iowa in 2007, she credited Rhodes for her assistance. “Without her support I wouldn’t have been able to pursue an MBA. Nancy helped instill in me the thought that I should never give up.”

At Mount Mercy’s graduation ceremony in 2000, Hughes was elected by her peers to give the commencement address. She also received the Mary Frances Warde Award, the highest honor given to a transfer student. Faculty and staff selected Hughes to receive the Warde Award based on her high scholastic ranking, marked degree of cooperation with administration, faculty and students, integrity in her personal relationships, and leadership and loyalty in furthering the ideals of the College. The award is named for Mary Frances Warde, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in America in 1843.

The supportive environment that Hughes experienced at Mount Mercy paved the way for her current career as a Professional Development Coordinator at the Kirkwood Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching. In that position, Hughes assists new faculty during their three-year probationary track and has created an initiative for staff professional development to provide “all employees the opportunity to learn.” “Everyone should have the opportunity to learn and to build self-confidence, as I once had the opportunity to do,” she says.

“My education and experience at Mount Mercy taught me that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible,” says Hughes. “I drove myself to prove to others that I was capable of doing amazing things. As a result, my heart is always with the people at the bottom – those individuals who are often judged by their outward appearance. I carry my Mount Mercy experiences deep in my soul and I’m drawn to people that appear different – because I’m one of them.”

Hughes is in the process of writing a book to document her childhood, physical disability, and successful return to college as an adult. She intends to target executives and human resource professionals with her message of “seeing the possibilities in all people.” “We all need to be able to see individuals for the strengths they bring to the table, rather than judge them on physical disabilities or past experiences,” says Hughes. Hughes credits her success to Mount Mercy, and its faculty and staff who accepted her for who she is and cultivated an overall atmosphere that challenged her to reach and exceed her potential.