Grad Switches Degree Program and Finds Purpose
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Long before Terra Spurgin dreamed of working for NASA, she was the kid checking out stacks of space books from the library and wondering how the universe worked.
But somewhere between adulthood, full-time work, and practical career choices, that dream began to feel unrealistic. Now, the Rio Salado graduate is finding her way back to it.
“My path to graduation has been long and has involved many twists and turns,” Spurgin said.
Like many students, she began college pursuing what felt like a safe and stable option. She initially enrolled in computer science before switching to accounting and general business. But even as she progressed through her courses, something didn’t feel right.
“I felt like I had wandered into a forest with many different paths I could follow, but the more I explored, the darker and hazier the choices seemed,” Spurgin said.
At the time, she felt pressure to choose a career path that made sense financially and practically.
“When I was first starting my college journey, I felt like I had to choose safe options that might not necessarily interest me to achieve a stable life,” Spurgin said. “I was trying to squeeze myself into a box and ignore that the shape hurt me.”
As a COVID-era high school graduate, Spurgin began working full-time at JPMorgan Chase immediately after high school, making flexibility an essential need for her future college.
“I chose Rio because I needed to be able to work while going to school,” Spurgin said. “I was also fortunate that my workplace partnered with Guild Education and paid for my entire degree.”
She found online classes convenient, although with some challenges.
“I very much prefer in-person classes, but working full-time makes it more difficult to align schedules,” Spurgin said. “You really have to be your own boss and stay on target.”
To stay organized, she developed systems that helped her manage deadlines and coursework.
“Buy a physical planner,” Spurgin said. “Write all of your due dates in the planner and schedule study blocks. The act of physically writing down tasks makes it more likely for me to remember them.”
Finding Her Orbit
Throughout her Rio journey, Spurgin found support from friends, advisors and instructors, but one conversation, in particular, changed everything.
“I was so fortunate to speak with John Bastian in the career advising department about how I felt and what options I had for the future,” Spurgin said. “I talked to him about my love of learning and science and my worries about going into STEM.”
Bastian introduced her to informational interviews and encouraged her to science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) explore careers that genuinely interested her.
“I got in touch with people in astrophysics and had very informative and exciting talks about the field,” Spurgin said. “And to think, I never would have considered it if not for a simple 30-minute chat with an advisor.”
As Spurgin reflected on what truly excited her, she kept returning to a lifelong fascination with space.
“I’ve always loved space,” Spurgin said. “I was the kid that borrowed a million books from the library at a time and read through them so fast.”
That curiosity about the universe— and especially the life cycles of stars and black holes— ultimately helped her realize where she wanted her future to lead. But that meant a change in her present.
“The decision to switch degrees was not an easy one,” Spurgin said. “I had a few breakdowns about it, to be honest. I just kept coming back to the thought that I would be miserable in accounting. In the end, I want to live my life for me and not for others.”
Now, after earning degrees in accounting and general business at Rio Salado in May, Spurgin is preparing for the next chapter of her educational journey. She plans to attend Mesa Community College to pursue an associate degree in astronomy before transferring to Arizona State University to study astrophysics.
“My dream is to work for NASA, primarily in a research role either studying star life cycles or black holes,” Spurgin said.
Looking back, Spurgin says she finally feels clarity after years of uncertainty.
“I’ve reached a sunny field in the middle of the forest, and I feel like I have clarity for the first time in a long time,” Spurgin said. “I know the path forward might become clouded again, but I will always come back to this moment in the sun and remind myself to keep pushing through to the next sunny field.”