Leslie Tisdale grew up on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s campus, working with her parents at Campus Copies — a familiar student stop on St. Mary Boulevard for nearly 30 years.
Graduating from the University decades later is a significant milestone for Tisdale in her years-long journey of physical, mental, and emotional recovery.
“I never thought I'd be where I'm at today,” says Tisdale. “My life is just starting for me at 46.”
A string of setbacks
In 1991, Tisdale dropped out of high school as a junior and spent years struggling with drugs and alcohol. In 2009, she took her first steps toward breaking the cycle and earning a degree but relapsed shortly after.
Eventually, Tisdale says, she was able to make progress. She began working full time while building momentum toward her degree at South Louisiana Community College. She was set to transfer to UL Lafayette in Fall 2017. But her progress was interrupted.
That summer, while in her last semester at SLCC, doctors found a tumor on Tisdale’s brainstem. She managed to complete her finals and then immediately had to undergo surgery.
“I was told I’d be home in five days; I was gone for two months,” Tisdale says. “I had to relearn how to walk, talk, and eat.”
While Tisdale was still in the hospital, her mother brought in her mail and Tisdale saw a familiar vermilion fleur-de-lis. She opened the envelope to learn she’d earned a scholarship to UL Lafayette. What would have been great news only a few months before was another blow for Tisdale.
“It was very disheartening because I was like, ‘I don't know when I can go back to school, if ever,’” Tisdale says.
Finding a new path
Somewhat serendipitously, UL Lafayette announced the General Studies Online degree program in June 2017. The program was specifically designed for students with college credits (but no degree) who might have obstacles in coming to campus.
For Tisdale, it was a godsend.
“I would joke around and say, ‘This program was made just for me,’” she says. “I couldn't have gotten up and gone to school and walked to class — it just wasn't that easy for me. So, the online program was just a godsend.”
Tisdale waited until she’d completed her physical therapy to enroll in the online bachelor’s degree program. Still, her family and friends worried about whether she was ready.
She admits it was a struggle.
She began the program in June 2018 with two courses and says, at first, it would take all day to write a paragraph. But she progressed in the program and in her recovery.
“Now I’m writing six-page papers,” she says. “I lost a lot in my surgery. Everything I knew was taken away from me in one day. Being in school has helped my recovery process, just having a feeling of normalization — that I’m being productive toward my education and professional life.”
Customizing a routine
Tisdale says a big component in her success was understanding her learning needs. Because her cognition is best in the morning, she made a point to get an early start on her coursework. She also made sure to stick to a routine.
“The first couple of weeks are the most challenging to figure out what's expected of you and what that class looks like, then it’s just getting in a routine,” she says. “I use a planner to write down a daily sheet. And I definitely don’t procrastinate.”
Students enrolled in the General Studies Online program can choose from several concentrations. Tisdale chose behavioral science. She says because of her experiences, she wanted a curriculum that could enable her to help others in similar circumstances.
She says courses like Stress Management, HLTH 451, has equipped her to help others and better manage her own life.
“That course helped a lot because I had a lot of stress with this new way of life, with not being as mobile,” she says.
Being able to take courses 100% online also helped her stress levels, Tisdale says.
“I don't have to get up, get dressed, get in the car, find a parking spot — that's only two hours of your life right there," she says. “Being able to do school at home has reduced my stress by so much. I remember before my surgery, I was like a robot: get up, get dressed, go to school, go to work, come home, do homework do it all over again. Now I have a little bit more freedom. And that's been amazing.”
Tisdale also credits her faith, saying without her trust in God, “I would not have made it through.”
With her bachelor’s degree nearly in-hand and six-and-a-half years sober, Tisdale says she’s celebrating more than a graduation. She’s celebrating life.
“No matter what life throws at us or what happens in our life, we can face it and still get it done,” Tisdale says. “I’m very grateful for the program because it’s been part of both of my recoveries. It’s prepared me to get back to work after being on disability for three years.”