Tiffany Covington does things in twos.

She enrolled at Northeastern Tech… twice.

She graduated from Grand Canyon University… twice.

She beat cancer… twice.

And every step of the way, she was inspired by her daughters – yes, two of them.

Your first go-round at Northeastern Technical College was back in 2001. Why did that not work out for you?

I had small children at the time, ages 4 and 6, and I also had some health issues going on, so I had to stop. But I made a vow to myself that when my girls graduated high school, I would go back.

My health issues persisted, and in August of 2003, I found a lump in my breast. At first, I ignored it. But in November, I finally went to the doctor, had a biopsy done, and learned that I had cancer.

At that time, I wasn’t working and didn’t have insurance, so for several months, I struggled to get help. But then I met this doctor who led me in the right direction, and I had my first surgery in February of 2004. I did 16 weeks of chemotherapy and ten weeks of radiation. For an entire year, I was getting treatments every other day. By that time, I was entering Stage 4.

But I got my strength from my daughters. I wanted to live so that I could raise them.

I also have crazy faith! I remember when I hit bottom, there were nights when everybody else was asleep, and I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I had to call upon the name of the Lord to help guide me, and He let me know that I was going to be okay.

And you were – for 18 years, at least. Meanwhile, you kept the vow you made to yourself to go back to Northeastern Tech. Tell us about that.

When my older daughter graduated high school in 2016, she went to Columbia College to major in dance. My baby girl was going into the 12th grade, so it seemed like the right time to go back. I was 43 at the time, and I am so grateful that I was able to lean on my daughters! I would have Facetime sessions with my older daughter, and we would do assignments together and help each other out.

I knew firsthand how hard it can be to balance going to school, working, maintaining a home, and raising children. That’s why I wanted to be an advocate for children – and parents – who struggle.

I was also blessed to have Ms. Marlowe Harrington as an instructor. There were times when I wanted to give up, and she’d write little notes or send texts to encourage me. To this day, she still sends me messages to let me know she loves me, is thinking about me, and is proud of me. She has always been so inspirational.

You graduated from Northeastern in 2018 with an associate degree in early childhood and enrolled in Grand Canyon University to get your bachelor’s degree – and then cancer reared its ugly head again.

Yes. I had to have major surgery in March of 2021, and I thought I was going to have to quit school. But I toughened it out and graduated with my bachelor’s in 2021 and my master’s in 2023.

Walking across that stage and getting my degree after so many trials and tribulations has been my proudest accomplishment. I flew all the way to Arizona to get that piece of paper. It was my first time on an airplane, and I was so scared. But knowing what I was going to bring back with me was oh-so-sweet!

Sometimes even today, I look at my degree and think, That’s me – I did that. And I get tickled!

What are you doing today?

I work at a high school with kids who have learning disabilities. I just want to support them and give them encouragement every day.

How do you do that?

Little things.

On Fridays, before we leave, we do a pinky promise of “Have a good weekend” and “I love you.”

I also teach life skills, so they’ve been learning how to cook. Once a month, we eat breakfast and fellowship with each other.

When they feel like they don’t understand something, I try to get them to think about how they can apply it to something they enjoy. If they like to play basketball, I’ll find a lesson in basketball. If it’s writing poems, rapping music – I just try to meet them where they are.

Back when I was in college, one of my favorite assignments was making books for nonverbal children and children who couldn’t read. We looked at a sample IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and figured out how to add our own razzle-dazzle to the books to help the children reach their personalized goals.

In everything I do, I want to pour into my students – not only so they understand what they’re learning but also so they know Ms. Covington cares about them. Those are my “why” moments – why I’m in education.

Speaking of “why” moments, how would you encourage prospective students to stay focused on what’s next?

My daughters, some of their friends, and our family members get together – usually in February – and we do a vision board for the year. We take off what we accomplished from the previous year, leave on what we still want to accomplish, and sometimes start fresh with something new. It really helps me see the journey. Other people might find that starting a vision board or a daily journal could help them track their journey as well.