Gagan Kaur, 23, of Hobart, graduates this May with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.

Ultimately, the New York native has her sights set on becoming a dentist, but she decided that working in the dental field before applying to dental school would be the best route for her.

“I was introduced to dental hygiene and it was so much more than I thought it would be,” Kaur said. “The program is phenomenal. The faculty really want to see you reach your goals.”

Kaur has made the faculty, and herself, proud, but not without some dark times first.

Throughout her journey, working and going to school left little time for friends and activities, but as Kaur learned, this turned out to be a serious detriment to her success, and happiness.

“I could not really relate when others said they were having the most memorable time during their college experience,” she said.

One day, on the way to her midnight shift, she fell asleep at the wheel and landed upside down in a graveyard, the dashboard crushing her legs and the seatbelt locking her inside.

The passerby who called 911 for her was a fellow IU Northwest student who calmed her while help arrived.

“As I sat there,” Kaur recalled, “my life really did flash before my eyes and one of the things I regretted at the time was that I had not really made a difference amongst my peers or within my chosen career field.”

Always remembering the fellow student’s positive, calming influence on her that dark night, she recovered and refocused.

“From then on, I’ve tried to succeed and hold leadership roles,” Kaur said. “I got involved with student organizations and found a big family within IU Northwest.”

Kaur joined the Student Activities Board, the Student Alumni Association, the Student Ambassadors, HOSA Future Health Professionals, the Pre-Professional Studies Club, the Modern Languages Club, ALMA Latino Organization, Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force, and the National Society for Leadership and Success.

At IU First Lady Laurie McRobbie’s Women Helping Women event in March, Kaur was honored for her community service. She also won two gold medals at the state collegiate HOSA competition. She is an intern with IU’s 2020 Bicentennial Race Project, and volunteers with the American Red Cross, and St. Mary Medical Center.

Kaur is grateful she discovered how valuable getting involved outside the classroom would be to her overall education.

“The push for student involvement is a great aspect of an IU Northwest education,” she said. “I took on many leadership roles within our campus and was able to find my strength and overcome my weaknesses. I like that we are encouraged to take on social responsibility and develop our characters.”

Now, much like that stranger who comforted her that dark night, Kaur tries to be a positive force for others.

“I tell students to get involved along with pursuing their academic careers. This is where we make the most memories and gain our most valued connections.”

About the Class of 2019: Indiana University Northwest will confer 830 degrees at the 53nd Annual Commencement ceremonies on May 9, 2019. The Class of 2019 will collectively receive 51 associate’s degrees, 670 bachelor’s degrees and 109 master’s degrees. The oldest student graduating is 68 years old and the youngest is 20, and seven out of 10 graduates are female. The most popular bachelor’s degree granted is general studies, followed by psychology. More than 40 percent of the graduating class are first-generation college students and more than 50 percent are over the age of 25.