"In Our Own Voices" is a photo and story gallery celebrating diversity and the voices that make the UNH Manchester community a wonderful place to live, learn and grow. Their stories are our story—and we are proud to tell it. Kari-Lynn Knight '22, who is pursuing her neuropsychology degree, shares her story below.
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Sixteen years ago, college was a missed opportunity. A high school graduate who had big dreams but made poor choices, I became pregnant and settled into life as a stay-at-home mom. By summer of 2018, I was divorcing, reliant on state assistance and was the sole caretaker of seven incredible children. Hopes for a college degree were long gone.
“I am grateful for the hope that I can be independent and capable of supporting my family.”
We had just moved to the city after escaping our previous situation, and independent living was new. Days were consumed with being a single parent, homeschooling, and endeavoring to meet requirements for our supportive housing program. I knew I needed to support my family, but I didn’t know how until last summer. After watching a child life specialist working at one of my children’s appointments, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Despite the impossible, friends encouraged me to visit UNH Manchester and see what I needed to do to become a child life specialist. Unsure what to ask, I walked into admissions two weeks before the semester started and walked out a full-time neuropsychology student covered by the Granite Guarantee. At 35, I’m finishing my freshman year, and I am grateful for the hope that I can be independent and capable of supporting my family.
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Compiled By:
Kassidy Taylor | Marketing & Communications, UNH Manchester | kassidy.taylor@unh.edu
