Jessica Ary — Navy veteran and nontraditional education student

Jessica Ary hid behind a superficial mask to hide her true emotions from a young age. Her eldest son of four children battles addiction and nearly lost his life in a road rage accident. Now 38, Ary is unemployed, a college student at Texas State and is going through a second divorce.

Despite the adversity in her life, Ary found her passion in creative writing and support through Texas State’s counseling department.

“I came here today to implore you to wear your story on your sleeve,” Ary said. “Let people see you, the real you… forage your own path, find your own connections, because when you fail brilliantly, and you will, I hope that you find a foundation to support you so that you’ll fly again once more.”