The Vill-Olsons: Gonzaga’s Family of the Year

By: Denise Vill-Olson, Class of 2015

My family does not look like the traditional Gonzaga family, nor was I the traditional Gonzaga student. In fact, I am a “non-traditional” student and I am fifty-five years of age. My immediate family is my husband Chris and my twenty-two year old son Stefan. I have a much larger extended family: my mother, three sisters, one brother, and a community that has helped me to fulfil my dream of graduating from Gonzaga University.

After high school, I did not have the opportunity to attend college. My father was diagnosed with cancer when I was a young adult. My parents owned a small family business. There were times when my parents would be seeking treatment for my father’s cancer at the Mayo Clinic or the National Institute of Health. My brother and I, as the eldest, had to step up and work in our family business; we weren’t paid, and we didn’t complain… it was simply necessary; we had a nice house and food on the table, and my little sisters could still be little girls. There was not any extra money for college, but I always dreamed that I would someday have the opportunity to pursue my dream of getting a college education. I was blessed to have a successful career in retail at Nordstrom as a manager, buyer, and salesperson, yet my dream to pursue college never lessened.

At Nordstrom in 2009, I was told that I had cancer and lost most of my colon; I had to give up a career that I loved because my body would not allow me to do the job anymore. At my age, it wasn’t likely I could just go out and find another job, so my husband and I decided that this would be the right time for me to pursue my dream of getting my education at Gonzaga University.

My immediate and extended families have made enormous sacrifices for me to achieve my dream. Throughout my time at Gonzaga, I have had three surgeries and many other health-related issues. My family was there to drive me to school because I was in so much pain that I could not walk very far; they would pick me up to take me to doctor’s appointments and then drove me back to school, so I wouldn’t miss any of my classes; My son helped me by editing my papers or tutoring me in math, while my husband bore the additional financial pressures for me to attend Gonzaga while my son was attending WSU. Both Chris and Stefan have sacrificed much for me and have never complained. We are by no means wealthy people; we have always worked very hard to make things happen.

My journey at Gonzaga has not always been easy as I am an adult learner with Attention Defect Hyperactivity Disorder and other aforementioned health issues; there were some professors who were not willing to work with me, and I was laughed at by some of my younger classmates on occasion. It isn’t always cool to partner up with the woman who could be your mother; I understand that. Many times during his journey, I thought it would just be easier to quit. Yet my difficulties were few when contrasted with the many people in the Gonzaga community who sacrificed so much extra time for me to achieve my dream of graduating:

• Amy Swank advocated for me several times and helped me become a part of the Gonzaga community. Amy gave me a home at GU.
• Carole Baumgartner helped me with my writing, even when I was not in her class.
• Shann Ferch was my mentor and advisor and helped me pick the right classes for my learning style. He created my concentration plan and helped me get it approved. He also provided additional time by helping me with my writing and giving me the emotional support I needed.
• Sima Thorpe provided me great support in her advocacy of all the non-traditional students on campus.
• The DREAM office helped me manage and advocate for my accommodation plan.
• The Academic Advising office helped me to find extra academic tutoring help.
• Finally, the Gonzaga Alumni Association honored me four times with an academic scholarship.

Without the support and kindness of these people, I would not have been able to achieve my dream. My dream has developed into so much more than my personal and immediate family’s dream; my dream has become my mother’s and siblings’ dream as well. I will be the first of Jack and Rose Vill’s children to graduate from college. We will all be on stage receiving a diploma thanks to the great support I have received from all my family, my Gonzaga extended family included.