Treva Adkins is not your traditional college student. She’s a mom of four and at 45, she’s often in classes at Pierce College with friends of her teenaged son and daughter. But what really sets her apart is her drive to succeed despite any circumstances.
“I love to learn,” Adkins said. “But I also really love to be successful.”
In high school, Adkins struggled with math courses but excelled as an artist; however, she had teachers who were less-than supportive who convinced her college wouldn’t be worth the cost for her.
“Nobody was asking me what my plan was post-high school,” Adkins said. “I felt like I didn’t have anybody rooting for me.”
She eventually became a “jack of all trades” working as a massage therapist, a barista, a bartender, a server, a caterer, an event coordinator, and even a flagger.
“I was good at everything because I’m dedicated,” Adkins said. “But I still felt like I wasn’t smart enough for college.”
Things changed when Adkins received a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder, or ADD, and in her late thirties. She’d been struggling with depression, and after advocating for herself and found a treatment that worked and later decided to couple it with learning something new.
“My depression had become a routine for my brain, and I had to break that routine with new experiences, new habits, new anything,” Adkins said.
“I started by wearing new outfits, doing my hair differently, even just adding earrings and fun shoes, doing something new every day, and spending time with friends,” Adkins said. “When I decided to go back to school, I was scared I couldn’t do it. My husband was my biggest supporter. He encouraged me to just give it a try and see what happens.”
Adkins fell in love with her classes. Even though her first courses were online, she would still make herself go to campus every day, where she would diligently work on her coursework in the computer labs. Her hard work paid off, and she earned a 4.0 GPA in her first quarter, landed on the dean’s list and was offered membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the national honors society for two-year colleges.
“I thought it was a fluke,” Adkins said. “But same thing second quarter, I got a 4.0 and I felt like I really started to shine.”
After three straight quarters of a 4.0 GPA, making the dean’s list, and feeling “like a rockstar” Adkins decided to tackle her dreaded, required mathematics course. She ended up with a 3.99 that term, the lowest in her entire 8 quarter career at Pierce College. She credits her high academic achievement on her dedication to studying in a way that works for her, and finding tools that help her process the lectures and retain information
“I learned how to handle my own learning disability,” Adkins said. “I’m upfront with my teachers and if the learning isn’t working for me, I let them know. I would make flashcards and punch a hole every time I got the right answer, just to see the confetti. Basically, I clicker trained myself.”
Adkins graduated with her Associate of Arts in June 2024; however, this fall, she’s back at Pierce College pursuing a certificate in digital design. One reason she decided to come back to continue her education is her desire to learn from all of the available art instructors at Pierce College.
“They’re such special people,” Adkins said. “The art department has interested, talented professionals who are teaching here for the love of teaching.”
Adkins says Pierce College art instructors, such as Mike Hall, Dave Rolholt and Scott Aigner, helped her find success in her own way. They reignited a love of art and painting in Adkins, whose art has been featured in SLAM, the student literary and arts magazine at Pierce College, and the summer art show at Tacoma Community College.
“Even now they urge me to keep applying to art shows and put myself out there,” Adkins said. “I want to make them proud of me and the work they put into my education.”
For future students, Adkins said the best thing you can do is get involved with campus life. Find your place on campus and show up.
“The community here is amazing,” said Adkins, who serves as Editor in Chief of Student Media and The Pinnacle, the Pierce College student news magazine. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t say Pierce is special. There is some kind of magic about this school.”
