Giving it her All
猫咪社区APP's former student body president finds fulfillment helping others
Laramie County Community College student Kyra Lopez鈥檚 path in life is anything but linear.
Before coming to 猫咪社区APP, college certainly didn鈥檛 seem like it was in the cards. And like many people around the world, Kyra has had to overcome anxiety to make it through her days. But her desire to make a positive impact led Kyra to serve a leadership role at the college as the Student Government Association president in 2024, and she鈥檚 on track to a career that inspires her best qualities to manifest.
Kyra, 19, was born and raised in Cheyenne, attending Alta Vista Elementary and Carey Junior High schools before making her way to East High School.
During high school, Kyra was actively involved in the marching band, where she played the trumpet, an instrument she had picked up in the eighth grade. Despite her involvement in band, Kyra didn鈥檛 find motivation to do well academically in high school. It wasn鈥檛 until Kyra鈥檚 senior year that she realized she needed to start carving out a path for her future.
Although Kyra had potential career interests, she didn鈥檛 think college was worth the risk - a view shared by many young people today, reflected in declining higher education enrollment nationwide.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to go to college,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 hated the thought of being here for years, possibly wasting time and money.鈥�
Reflecting on her life, Kyra considered her struggles with 鈥渃rippling anxiety.鈥� Her life experiences showed Kyra that helping others helped her with her own challenges. Around the time she was finishing high school, she said she also contemplated how finding her way to economic security would be a greater challenge without a college credential.
Finding her path
颅颅颅颅At the crossroads of those considerations, Kyra said she decided to pursue a degree in the psychology program in the Human and Public Services Pathway at 猫咪社区APP, seeking to help people with mental health struggles. It took some time for her to realize, however, that she needed to pursue a different avenue in her education.
While Kyra was still in the psychology program, she began working at Safe Harbor, a children鈥檚 justice center in Laramie County that focuses on serving abused and neglected children. At Safe Harbor, Kyra had the opportunity to supervise family visits, where she bonded with a first-grader who had cognitive delays and dyslexia. Spending time with the first-grader during short, 15-minute windows, Kyra helped him with activities like spelling and writing.
The experiences, Kyra said, were profound. Not only was she bonding with the child; she felt a sense of responsibility for being a positive influence in his life.
鈥淭hose 15 minutes I had with him really let me connect,鈥� Kyra said. 鈥淚 felt like I was his teacher; someone who could bring the good out in him.鈥�
Kyra said she felt like she was 鈥渟upposed to be鈥� a teacher, leading her to make the decision to switch her major from psychology to elementary education.
鈥淚t feels like I鈥檓 encouraging them to be bold and step into whatever they want to do, say what they want to say, do what they want to do,鈥� Kyra said. 鈥淚t just makes me feel like I鈥檓 bringing them out of their shell and helping them be confident.鈥�
At 猫咪社区APP, a Pathway is a set of related programs grouped to allow for exploration in multiple areas with low risk of wasting credits or semesters. Because Kyra鈥檚 switch to elementary education remained in the same pathway as psychology, she can stay on track to complete her degree on time.
Inspired to do the difficult things
In her time at 猫咪社区APP, Kyra鈥檚 role in the campus community evolved from being a somewhat reluctant student to a leader. Whether she was working in her student ambassador job in Enrollment Services, attending events or participating in campus organizations, Kyra became a constant and positive presence at 猫咪社区APP.
The idea of joining the Student Government Association was simple at first. 鈥淭hey paid you,鈥� Kyra said with a laugh. After becoming involved for the monetary incentive, Kyra鈥檚 engagement quickly grew, with her taking on increasing levels of responsibility.
Kyra describes herself as an easygoing person who can get along well with a variety of people, even when there are disagreements. When she took on the role of president, Kyra said she wanted to be a leader who set a positive tone for student government meetings and activities. By coming into meetings with an upbeat and encouraging attitude, Kyra believed she could inspire others to follow her lead and bring out the best in the group.
鈥淚 notice how leaders impact people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f the person leading isn鈥檛 positive, people aren鈥檛 going to follow that. So, I tried to stay positive and set the tone. If it鈥檚 dreadful for everyone, nothing gets done. When I set a positive tone, everyone else started to feel that way and act differently based on how they were feeling. People can see it in your eyes, and the group feels it collectively.鈥�
Landing on a positive mindset didn鈥檛 necessarily come naturally for Kyra. There was apprehension, she said, when it came to walking through the doors at 猫咪社区APP each day and taking on leadership roles. But it was about pushing boundaries; finding what she fears and facing it without reservation.
鈥淚 like to feel like things are difficult,鈥� Kyra said. 鈥淚t occupies my time and my mind, and I like to test the limits. I guess I like to see how much I can do, how much better I can get - that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 so involved. It鈥檚 about proving to myself that I can do it, because if I didn鈥檛 and was too scared, I鈥檇 be giving in to anxiety and all those little things you tell yourself. By saying 鈥榮crew it鈥� and just doing it anyway, it proves to myself that I can do it. I just don鈥檛 want to give in to the fear.鈥�
Giving it everything she鈥檚 got
Whether she was setting an example of perseverance as a leader at 猫咪社区APP or someday helping young children in a career in K-12 schools, Kyra knows the best way to feel right with herself is to help others. That, she said, is the reward of joining communities, like the one she鈥檚 found at 猫咪社区APP.
鈥淭he more I push myself to be in groups and meet people, it just turns out better,鈥� Kyra said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a fact for me, for sure.鈥�
Kyra said she understands the apprehension people feel about coming to college, whether they鈥檙e just finishing high school or looking to change careers. But Kyra鈥檚 experience tells her that she鈥檒l get out of college what she puts in. Finding happiness in life, she said, is a journey that people have to want. For Kyra, she鈥檒l find that serenity knowing she鈥檚 given life everything she鈥檚 got.
鈥淏y the end of the day, I don鈥檛 want to feel like I didn鈥檛 do my best,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ave I done everything to change for the better the things that are in my control? If so, then I鈥檒l be good.鈥�