The Click That Changed Everything: From Surgery to a Doctorate at Westcliff

Sometimes, when life hands you its heaviest weight, hope arrives in the quietest ways. For Nancy Fugaha, a doctoral student in Westcliff University’s College of Education, hope appeared as the warm voice of a professor she had never met, during the most difficult time of her life.

Becoming a doctoral student had been a dream Nancy carried for decades. She had worked toward it for years, overcoming personal and cultural barriers to finally enroll in a program that felt right. But just weeks before her first doctoral class, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Nancy had just come home from her first surgery, the initial step of her cancer treatment journey. She was sore, exhausted, and completely emotionally drained, with the worry about what was coming next weighing heavily on her. Starting a doctoral program felt impossible at that moment. The idea of logging into a virtual lecture from a university thousands of miles away was the last thing on her mind. Pain blurred her vision. Doubt pressed on her thoughts.

That was when her husband, Mohammad, stepped in. Quietly and patiently, he encouraged her to try. “Your class is starting soon,” he reinforced.

Reluctantly, she joined.

On the other side of the screen waited Dr. Amy Dibello, M.F.A., whose energy and empathy radiated through every pixel. 

“The way she spoke, her character, her energy — it brought life back to me,” Nancy recalled. “If it wasn’t for that one lecture, I don’t think I would have continued. But something in me said, ‘You can still do this.’”

What began as a single click in a haze of post-surgery exhaustion became the first step toward reclaiming a dream she had carried for decades and a moment of solace after a traumatic event for Nancy. Her next chapter was set.

The Dream That Waited

Long before she joined that virtual class at Westcliff, Nancy dreamed of earning a doctoral degree. As an undergraduate, she graduated at the top of her class at a university in Jordan and earned a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry. The path was clear, and the ambition was there. But her father, out of love and concern, asked her not to travel to a different country. She respected his wishes and put the dream on hold for the time being.

“It was in my mind all the time to finish, to get a doctoral degree,” she said. “I was top of my class, and I got the opportunity through a scholarship. I wanted to go. But at the time, my father refused.”

Years passed, and Nancy poured her energy into education and leadership. She taught chemistry. She became a principal. She raised four children. She built a life full of meaning and impact, but the dream never left her.

“When you carry a dream that long, it becomes part of who you are,” she said. “Even when it sleeps, it never really disappears.”

Nancy tried again and again to pursue her doctorate. She applied to universities in Saudi Arabia but was denied because she was not a citizen. In Jordan, she encountered more barriers. Still, she kept looking for a door that would open.

Eventually, she found an education office that introduced her to Westcliff University. She researched the program on her own and was immediately drawn in by the structure, the accreditation, and the promise of something real. “I was convinced,” she said. “It felt like the opportunity I had been waiting for.”

As an international student, Nancy felt welcomed from the start. The flexibility of the program and the support she received made her feel like she belonged. Westcliff was not just another online university. It was a place that saw her potential and opened its doors wide.

Hope on the Other Side of the Screen

Something shifted for Nancy during that first class. Sitting in bed and recovering from surgery, she expected to feel distant and distracted. Instead, she felt something she had not felt in weeks: a glimpse of who she was before the diagnosis.

“That first lecture lives in my memory,” she said. “It changed my mindset completely.”

Dr. Amy’s warmth, the way she welcomed her students, and the rhythm of the lesson itself gave Nancy more than academic direction. It gave her a reason to re-engage with the dream she had carried for so long. For that one hour, she was no longer a patient or a woman in recovery. She was a student again.

“Behind a screen, she encouraged me in a way that made me believe again,” Nancy shared. “Even though we were miles apart, that one class helped me feel like myself. I needed that.”

That moment became a turning point in her journey. It reminded her that the dream she had waited years to pursue was still hers to claim.

A Journey Worth Finishing

Today, Nancy is in the final stages of her doctoral journey. She has completed her coursework, finished the second phase of her dissertation, and is preparing to move into data collection. Her confidence has grown alongside her progress, and she remains more determined than ever to earn her degree.

Looking back, she sees her breast cancer diagnosis as a moment that could have stopped everything for her, but with her own resilience  – and with the support of her husband, and that first lecture – it didn’t.

“That was a blessing from God,” she said. “When you get cancer, it’s not an easy issue. But I got busy. I got something more important.”

Now in good health, Nancy is focused on finishing strong and inspiring others to keep going, no matter the obstacles. “I’m so excited about getting the degree, and proud of my path. There is no doubt,” she said. “Behind that screen, I found life again.”

Westcliff wishes Nancy all the best in the remainder of her academic journey and is proud to support students from around the world. Students like Nancy, whose stories remind us that strength and hope can emerge from even the most unexpected places. 

“I am proud to be a student at Westcliff University. All the professors are great, professional, and the level of education is outstanding. I am now here in the USA to complete my dissertation — this important final step of traveling and visiting the university would not have been possible without the encouragement I received from my parents, my husband, and Dr. Marko, who supported this visit and constantly encouraged me. In my opinion, Dr. Marko truly believes in this university and what it stands for, and I share that belief wholeheartedly.”

We look forward to cheering her on as she moves closer to the finish line.