Rebecca Town remembers what hunger feels like, the kind that sends you outside searching for your next meal. Mulberries. Honeysuckle. Whatever a 10-year-old in an insecure environment can find.

Because her most basic needs—food, water, stability—weren’t consistently met growing up, college never felt like a realistic goal.

But on May 15, Town graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business, a milestone that feels surreal.

“I never thought I’d live past 18, much less graduate,” she says. “Even though I know I’ve done the work, I still have to remind myself that I deserve to be here.”

One of six siblings, Town took on responsibility early. Her father was absent and her mother struggled with chronic pain and opioid addiction.

“I was basically in charge of the household,” she says.

When Town was 10, her mother died from a drug overdose. In the years before that, instability had shaped her daily life and, at times, she left home to find somewhere safer to stay.

“At one point, I lived under a bridge by the OU Duck Pond for about three weeks by myself,” she says.

Despite these hardships, one thing remained constant.

“Academics have always been important to me,” Town says. “Even when they weren’t important to anyone around me.”

She excelled in school, but with no family history of higher education, college felt distant until community organizations stepped in. Operation School Bell, a local, non-profit clothing and personal-care closet, provided essentials and Big Brothers Big Sisters matched Town with a mentor who would change the course of her life.

Amanda Bowerman met Town when she was 12, becoming a steady and reliable presence.

“Much like any disadvantaged youth, there are things about Becca’s life that she had absolutely no control over,” Bowerman says. “What I consistently witnessed was her ability to turn what would normally be stumbling blocks into stepping stones.”

With Bowerman’s encouragement, college became more than an abstract idea.

“That match made such a huge difference in my life,” Town says. “I could understand more of what was actually possible.”

Still, one barrier remained.

“Money is what always made a college education feel out of reach,” she says. “I knew I had the drive and the intelligence. But I was poor.”

With Bowerman’s help, Town began researching scholarships and applying for financial aid.

“Once I discovered the resources available to help people like me, it was a game-changer,” she says.

When it came time to choose a college, Town had options—including a full-ride offer from Harvard University. Ultimately, she chose OU.

“I felt like I was going to have more support here,” she says, adding that OU leverages Oklahoma’s Promise scholarships with Crimson Commitment support for low-income students. Together, the two covered tuition and fees. “OU also gave me the opportunity to really figure out what I wanted to study.”

Town began as a microbiology major before finding her path in business, pursuing a management degree with a minor in human resources.

At OU, new challenges emerged. While many students focused solely on coursework, Town worked full-time to support herself as a Sonic carhop and at a property management company.

“You can see and feel the gap between you and your peers,” she says. “Even just having someone to ask questions—I didn’t have that. No one in my life had gone through it before.”

As graduation approached, the balancing act became even more demanding. Around midterms last spring, Town took emergency custody of her younger sister.

She quickly adjusted, managing school, work and caregiving—overseeing medical care, school enrollment and daily routines.

“If I’m taking in a child, I’m going to make sure she’s taken care of before anything else,” Town says. “She’s the priority.”

At the same time, she was planning her wedding.

“That was definitely a period where I had to juggle everything,” she says. “It was hard.”

Through it all, support remained a constant—from Bowerman, her husband and scholarships, including those made possible by the OU Foundation's Marvin D. and Barbara L. Jirous Sonic Scholarship Fund, Linda R. Dunham Price College of Business Student Support Fund and the Zee and Madge May Vincent Memorial Fund.

“A lot of doors would have never opened for me if I hadn’t had financial support from the university and private donors,” Town says.

Scholarships represented more than financial assistance.

“It feels like someone truly sees and believes in you,” she says. “When you’ve never had that before, it means everything.”

Now, as she prepares for what’s next, Town is focused on giving back. She volunteers with Operation School Bell and Big Brothers Big Sisters, putting her faith in others as they once did her.

“There’s no way to accurately measure the impact that Becca has had and will continue to have on the lives of those around her,” Bowerman says. “What matters is that she is investing in people. Her potential really is limitless.”

Town hopes her story offers something simple but powerful.

“I want kids who grow up like I did to know it’s possible,” she says.

Looking ahead, Town plans to build a career rooted in service, using her experiences to help others navigate challenges of their own.

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that your past doesn’t define you,” she says. “You can take what you’ve been through and use it to make yourself and the people around you better. I want to be remembered as somebody who was helpful and did what they could to make a difference.” 

Tami Althoff is content manager for OU Education Services.

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