Kaur’s story opens the door to life-changing opportunities

Most people might see Cassie Kaur sitting in her College of Science classes at Purdue University Fort Wayne and assume she's a completely normal, stereotypical student.

But her story is anything but ordinary.

Kaur was 17 years old when she decided to drop out of high school the summer before her junior year. Dealing with some issues, including depression, made attending class difficult. She tried online learning, which didn't work either. A guidance counselor suggested Kaur try for her general equivalency diploma, but, lacking confidence, Kaur decided that seemed quite the stretch.

She started working full-time at a fast-food restaurant, in a way, following her mother's example. A single mother of three children who worked in restaurant management, Kaur's mother also set an example by taking night courses to earn a teaching degree.

Working full-time, while picking up any overtime she could, Kaur remembers one of her co-workers telling her she could see Kaur working in fast food the rest of her life. It wasn't said maliciously, just as an observation of how her life might turn out. The comment hit like an uppercut and motivated Kaur to take the GED test at age 18, where she shocked herself by passing with honors in writing, reading, and math.

The results were life-changing.

"I felt like it taught me a valuable lesson that even when things are hard, you can still push through and take action," Kaur said. "Your setbacks don't really define you or your potential."

Kaur started taking online classes, and after working at the fast-food restaurant for a few more months, took a chance and applied at Parkview Hospital as a nurse's aide. She found a job she loved-helping others-which opened her eyes to a potential future better than she could have imagined.

"When patients are in the hospital, they're often facing uncertainty and fear, feelings I understand from my own struggles," Kaur said. "Being able to provide comfort and care in these moments feels especially rewarding and meaningful to me."

Kaur decided to transfer and study biology at PFW. Instead of encountering limitations, she is thriving and discovering new opportunities with each success. Now she's considering attending medical school, becoming a physician assistant, or an anesthesiologist assistant-different fields where she can use her gifts to help others.

"Cassie continues to impress me with her exceptional work ethic and unwavering commitment to helping others," said Marcy Ball, assistant director and pre-professional advisor for health programs in the College of Science. "Balancing a full-time course load, working as a patient care technician, and now volunteering with hospice speaks volumes about her dedication. She has a genuine heart for people, and I can only imagine how her kind and compassionate demeanor brings comfort and calm to those in her care."
Now a sophomore who also works at Lutheran Hospital, Kaur has built an outstanding grade point average. She's still finding out what she is capable of and all the many ways she can build a life, something a 17-year-old could never have imagined. The decision to drop out of high school didn't end up limiting her life; instead, it inspires her.

"I feel like coming to PFW both challenged me a lot and pushes me forward," Kaur said. "I feel like I've gained confidence with each class and each success. It used to surprise me, but now I expect those results out of myself. My story is about finding the resiliency within yourself and developing a growth mindset."

As Kaur said, she's older than most of her sophomore classmates and should already be out of school, building a career, and maybe a family. After all, she recently got married, too. But those thoughts would be looking back and using those potential limitations as an excuse.

"If you look at it that way, you won't move forward," Kaur said. "PFW has helped me move forward."

Kaur says she got a late start, but that means she has more to catch up on, maybe even more goals still to reach. Kaur is still pushing for more-more opportunities, more capabilities, and more potential. She's still hungry to keep growing.