This November, Alyssa Wowk will be crossing the stage for graduation. This will be the second time in less than two years. To Wowk, who completed her bachelor’s degree in Human Services in just 11 months while working full-time and raising her three-year-old sister, this milestone means far more than academic achievement. Rather, it marks the culmination of a personal mission to break cycles, inspire hope, and change lives.

Wowk’s early days were spent in the small hamlet of Roscoe where she was raised amid challenges of addiction and family instability.

“I had the love and support of some family,” explained Wowk. “[But] I still carried the weight of what addiction can do to a household: the instability, the fear, and the behaviors I picked up just trying to survive.”

Wowk didn’t let those experiences define her, rather, she used them as a drive to become the antithesis of what they saw in her: successful, stable, and strong, “[And] I  never looked back,” she said.

This past December, armed with an Associate’s Degree, Wowk walked the stage at SUNY Sullivan, accompanied by her baby sister. Watching on in the audience was her older brother, as well.

This coming November, Wowk will repeat that march but this time with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from Southern New Hampshire University, having earned it in just 11 months with a 4.0 GPA.

That path wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. Wowk had juggled her full-time job as the Supervisor of the Child and Family Treatment Support Services Program at the Children’s Home in Liberty, her full-time studies online, all the while parenting her three-year-old sister.

“Balancing all three … was incredibly challenging,” Wowk recounted. “There were moments that felt overwhelming … like I was barely keeping it all together.”

Helping her through it all was the warm support of her coworkers, family, and friends. Through their help, Wowk powered through, sometimes studying into the late night hours whilst her sister was nearby playing at the kitchen table.

“I lived by my planner,” Wowk told the Democrat. “Color-coded calendars, to-do lists, and structure kept me grounded. I learned to treat my education like a promise to myself, and I wasn’t willing to break it.”

Speaking of help through it all, Wowk credits her professional mentors and academic advisors to helping her stay the course.

Andrea Baez, Director at the Children’s Home, was cited as one of her driving motives to returning to school.

“Andrea was a major influence in my decision,” Wowk explained. “My dedication and passion for working with youth and families truly inspired me to want to continue my education.”

Support also came from a close friend and co-worker who went back to school with her. 

“We kept each other grounded throughout the entire journey,” stated Wowk. “Whenever one of us felt like throwing in the towel, the other was there to offer support or just a reminder of why we started.”

Academic guidance also played a role. Wowk’s advisor Shaelyn Roys “always made [me] feel seen and capable, even when things felt overwhelming,” Wowk said. 

During her final semester, professor Danielle Boucher helped her push through her capstone course. Boucher gave Wowk the confidence that she needed at a time of heavy self-doubt.

At the core of Wowk’s story is her role as a big sister. 

“Taking care of my three-year-old sister has been one of the most challenging and meaningful experiences of my life,” Wowk recounted. “She looks up to me … and knowing I’m shaping the kind of world she grows up in pushed me to keep going.”

Her brother was also a motivator, as watching him navigate life and push through his own challenges inspired Wowk to keep pushing through her own.

With her degree, Wowk is prepared to take the next steps in a field that deeply matters to her. 

“This isn’t just my story, it’s my mission,” stated Wowk. “To break cycles, inspire hope, and prove that where you start doesn’t have to be where you stay.”

Her dream? Being able to continue working with vulnerable children and families through advocacy, case management, or program development. 

“If my journey can inspire [my siblings] or the youth that look up to me to chase their own goals,” said Wowk, “then every struggle along the way was worth it.”