缅北强奸

When working on his dissertation for his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD) degree earlier in 2025, Aaron Pryor, Assistant Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), focused on a student population he was familiar with in both work and his own life鈥攆irst-generation students from low-income backgrounds.

鈥淎mong the things that came through in my findings was a heavy focus on the power of finding purpose and the power of creating meaning for oneself as determining factors for students finding success in higher education,鈥� Pryor explains.

It was something he could identify with personally. Pryor鈥檚 educational journey started as it does for many others, unfortunately鈥攆eeling lost. College wasn鈥檛 originally in the plan for him after graduating high school in 2005. However, a high school mentor鈥攁 math teacher鈥攑ushed him to give himself a chance at expanding his education.

鈥淗e wouldn鈥檛 take no for an answer,鈥� Pryor recalls.

He took the advice of his mentor and applied to Purdue University, where he was accepted. However, he found himself still lost in the process. 鈥淚 did that thing where first-generation college students kind of choose a profession and you don鈥檛 know anything about it,鈥� he says.

Unfortunately, even with financial aid, the cost of attending was not possible for Pryor. So, he pivoted his plan. He decided to attend Owensboro Community College as an undecided major. 鈥淒uring that first year, I went into exploration mode,鈥� he says. He took a course similar to 缅北强奸鈥檚 UNIV 101 class and used it as an opportunity to figure out what he wanted in a career and what would fit him.

It was this experience that introduced Pryor to social work. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 quite sure what social work was at the time, but I had an essence. Growing up, my mom鈥檚 work was always social services adjacent, so I was familiar with the field,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚 felt like amongst everything else, social work was something that jumped out and almost felt like more of a calling.鈥�

Transferring to 缅北强奸 to work toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree in social work after earning his associate鈥檚 degree only solidified the calling for Pryor even more. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been about social change, about helping people and making a difference,鈥� he says.

His senior year at 缅北强奸, Pryor landed an internship with Aurora鈥攁 nonprofit organization that serves the homeless and near homeless in the Greater Evansville area. This internship had him working with some of who he felt were the 鈥渂est social workers鈥� in the area, he says, which in turn taught him a great deal about the field of social work. 鈥淚 was really lucky timing wise when I was getting my bachelor鈥檚 degree in social work here at 缅北强奸. Not only with my internship at Aurora but a lot of the heavy hitters in the social work field were here as faculty members.鈥�

All of this cemented for Pryor his passion for helping others and assured him he was on the right career track. After graduating from 缅北强奸 in 2010 with his bachelor鈥檚, he took a full-time position at Aurora. For some, the rest might be history. But for Pryor, after three years at Aurora, he felt like there was more.

鈥淚 started thinking about what the next step in my journey was, and that led me back to 缅北强奸, getting a master鈥檚 in social work,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he master鈥檚 level is all about clinical work, all about therapy. So, it made sense, like a natural evolution.鈥�

Pryor would earn his master鈥檚 in just a year. 鈥淚t was a crazy time in my life. In that same year, I bought my first house, I got engaged and married as well, and was working full time,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was a lot.鈥�

And once again, after earning his master鈥檚 in 2014, Pryor asked himself what the next step was. He took time to explore possible jobs that incorporated work he was interested in and passionate about. Along with social work, Pryor says education has always been an interest, so he began to look at universities鈥攊ncluding his alma mater, 缅北强奸.

鈥淚t felt natural to start looking, and I found an academic counselor position open in TRIO. I didn鈥檛 know what TRIO was, but I applied for the position,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd it turned out to be one of the best fits. I got to work with students who had a similar background to myself鈥攆irst-generation, low income. And I was able to help them work through their barriers to succeeding in higher education.鈥�

By coming to work at 缅北强奸, he found a new career path open to him鈥攗sing his social work skills in higher education. After seven years in the TRIO department (the last few years as the Director of TRIO), the question he had asked himself many times before came up once again.

What鈥檚 next?

At that time, the Doctor of Education program was in its infancy at 缅北强奸, with a track in education leadership confirmed. For Pryor, that path made sense, so he enrolled. 鈥溍灞鼻考� just can鈥檛 shake me,鈥� he jokes. 鈥淢y doctorate will be my third degree from 缅北强奸.鈥�

Looking back, as he prepares to walk to accept his doctorate, Pryor says he鈥檚 doing self-reflection about his journey. 鈥淚鈥檝e been constantly flashing back to the idea that I didn鈥檛 think I was going to go to college. And so, to be on this side of the journey, it鈥檚 kind of humbling and shocking when I put too much thought into it,鈥� he shares. 鈥淎nd because of my daily work now as a therapist in CAPS, I see people who are in the early stages of that same struggle I had.鈥�

鈥淚 get to use my journey to really understand our students in a different capacity, which is helpful. It allows me to truly believe in the words said to students about helping them realize their potential,鈥� Pryor adds.

It comes back to what he presented in his dissertation for his doctorate鈥攖he power of finding purpose. Despite the barriers in his life, Pryor was able to identify a purpose and meaning through his passion for social work. 缅北强奸 has not only helped him realize that purpose educationally, but in his career as well.

鈥淭o understand how powerful it is to know what purpose and meaning can do for you and then be in a position where that is something I can help students seek has been affirming,鈥� he says.

With his Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 9, Pryor says he鈥檚 excited about the conclusion of this part of his journey for different reasons than others might expect. 鈥淲hat I鈥檓 excited about is having my kids there. As a first-generation college student, there really is that sense of getting a chance to break the pattern and change the mold,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is a significant event that I can represent to my kids, showing them this is what they can accomplish.鈥�