Rachel Ewart, 31, of Hanna, Ind. graduates this May with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“When I first started my college degree in 2005 money was tight,” she says. “After my freshman year I took a break from school. I eventually joined the Army, knowing I would get out and be able to attend college without worrying about money.”

In the Army, Ewart graduated basic training in the top 10 percent of her battalion and at the top of her Advanced Individual Training class. She served as a platoon guide and worked at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade in Maryland for a year before leaving the Army in 2011.

Since then, Ewart had two sons that she is raising on her own, and she decided to return to college on her G.I. Bill. She enrolled as a transfer student at IU Northwest in 2016.

“Finding time to do homework with very active six- and seven-year-old boys while coaching basketball and t-ball has kept me on my toes,” Ewart says.

In addition to her roles as a volunteer assistant coach for the boys’ teams, and head coach for the fifth grade girls’ basketball team, Ewart is also the president of the Parent-Teacher Organization at her boys’ school and intends to eventually run for a position on the school board.

Whether it’s serving her country, raising energetic boys, making a difference in their school, or excelling in her own studies, Ewart clearly gives 100 percent to every endeavor.

Ewart credits the professors at IU Northwest for much of her success.

“I appreciated the amount of knowledge each of them brought to class and their willingness to answer all questions,” she says. “They also understood that I had family obligations outside of the classroom and were incredibly supportive.”

Upon graduation, Ewart is excited to pursue her dream of working in an intelligence program within a police department.

“I am also actively looking for a job as a contractor with the government along the lines of what I did when I was in the Army,” she said.

About the Class of 2018: Indiana University Northwest will confer 777 degrees at the 52nd Annual Commencement ceremonies on May 10, 2018. The Class of 2018 will collectively receive 49 associate’s degrees, 638 bachelor’s degrees and 90 master’s degrees. The oldest student graduating is 62 years old and the youngest is 19. More than 70 percent of the graduating class is female.