• W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship Recipient •

Breaking Cycles: How One Student Turned Hardship into Hope

For the first time in her life, Victoria Heigle feels like everything is going right, a significant departure from challenges she has overcome in the past. It started when she enrolled in a University of Arkansas’ online degree program.

“Before I became a student, my life was stagnant,” she said. “My ex burned down my home a couple years ago, so we were homeless for a little while. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I just knew I wanted my daughters to know they could do better than what I had done so far. I thought, I'm going to apply and try to go back to college to show them. And it worked.”

Heigle, 36, is in the Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science online program at the University of Arkansas and plans to graduate in May 2027. After that, she will decide whether to pursue a master’s degree to become either a professor or a child advocacy social worker.

“I'm a first-generation, non-traditional student, with three daughters, ages 3, 6 and 12,” she said. “I'm homeschooling all three of them. My oldest daughter was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at Le Bonheur [Children’s Outpatient Center, Jonesboro] in January, right when my classes at the U of A were starting. We were in the hospital for weeks on end. If I hadn't had the online program, I wouldn't have been able to go [to college].”

Working on classwork at night while her children slept gave Heigle something to take her mind off the stress and gave her something to work toward, something within her control. Having grown up in the foster care system, Heigle has no family other than her daughters. Every expense—from housing to food to utilities to health care—were Heigle’s sole responsibility.

“Even though we kept going back to Le Bonheur every month, my oldest daughter saw how good I was doing, and that motivated her to change,” Heigle remembered. “She wanted to study when mom studied. She wanted to make A's. It’s become a friendly competition. She started taking pride in her work. I'm still wanting the degree but seeing that in her bonded us together.”

Heigle performed well in high school and wanted to attend college. Unfortunately, as an emancipated minor, she was basically on her own and fell into situations where university wasn’t an option. Once her life settled down, once she and her children were safe, she determined the time to be right to finally live her dream.

Heigle and her girls live in Paragould, on the other side of the state from the U of A flagship campus. She could go to a college closer by, she admitted, but she fell in love with the Razorbacks, praising everything from the degrees on offer to the faculty, the advisors, and the flexibility of online learning.

“The lectures are awesome,” she said. “The professors take the time to create and upload the lectures. They respond back to emails. They actually, genuinely care. When I mention things going on with my daughter, they ask about her. They make me feel like I wasn't one in a million students. They take an interest. That meant everything to me because I've never had that kind of support system, especially from teachers. Now my middle child is starting at a private school here, so that's going to be an adjustment. There will be field trips and things like that, and I'll be able to go because my life's not cemented down to a Tuesday/Thursday, 2-hour schedule. I can do it when my girls are asleep. I can get up early in the morning, have the time to myself to focus on my studies, and I'm not missing out on any time with my girls.”

Heigle admitted to being nervous the first time she met with her advisor, Melinda Dunlap, over a video chat. Heigle went into the meeting uncertain of the correct procedure and afraid of what was going to happen, but Dunlap immediately put her mind at ease.

“She was very down-to-earth,” Heigle said. “She made me comfortable very quickly. She walked me through the program and explained everything. She didn't belittle me for not understanding. She explained it extraordinarily well. She boosted my confidence, helped me pick the classes I needed and explained why I needed these classes, then gave me free rein to decide which ones to take in what order. She has a very personal touch, and I really enjoy getting to talk to her.”

As a single mom of three young girls, online was the only way Heigle could attend college while letting her be there for her daughters, especially when they're small.

“With the medical stuff and everything else going on, I wouldn’t be able to be a college student if it weren't for this program,” Heigle said. “I usually wake up extra early in the morning. The house is quiet. It's the best time for me to study and focus. If they walk down the stairs and see me, they usually cuddle up next to me while I'm on the laptop and fall back asleep. By the time they're all awake and we're starting their day, I'm done with studying. If I need to review, I review maybe an hour at night after they go to bed. It's worked really well for all my exams, and I've never turned in a late assignment.”

Her recent successes have birthed a fresh confidence in Heigle’s own abilities and a determination to do something special with her future, she said.

“I've always been a very shy, timid person,” she said. “I still am to certain degrees, but I'm getting better at it, and that's progress that I hadn't made in a long time. I have the confidence to put my daughter in a private school, to go talk to the school, to advocate for her. I've learned to advocate for myself. If I want something, I can attain it. There's nothing more important than teaching the next generation that it's possible to do that.”

Using this new inner strength, Heigle has set her sights on two potential career paths.

“I want to either become a professor at the university level or to work with kids who grew up in an environment similar to mine,” she said. “I want to be the friendly face that knows what the kids are going through, that can help them adjust after being taken from a hostile family situation and moved into a better one. I want to be the person that understands.”

Heigle is one of 35 recipients of the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship for online U of A students for the 2025-2026 academic year. The scholarship began with small gifts from many people who passionately believe in the transformative power of education. Four scholarships were awarded in 2018, the inaugural year of the Manning award. In recent years, the Global Campus has invested more than $1 million in the scholarship’s endowed fund. Generous donors have added to that amount through fundraising efforts such as “All in for Arkansas.”

“I knew there were only a select number of recipients, so I wasn't fully expecting to get the scholarship at all,” Heigle admitted. “I was very happy when I got it. The application process was very easy, very black and white. You basically tell your story and upload information. The best advice I can give is to be honest. I've read about people using AI programs to write their essay. A computer can never grasp the full depth of a person’s feelings. Just explain your story in your own words. Don't be afraid to share things because you never know. This was the first time I could be proud about the hardships I've endured and overcome.”

Learn more about U of A online students on the Student Experience page of the U of A ONLINE website, where online degree programs are showcased. Anyone can donate to the scholarship fund online.