Harvesting the Rewards of Education

When graduation feels far away, are you able to picture what the rewards of your hard work will be?

For BYU-Pathway Worldwide graduate Bianca da Cunha, those rewards are even sweeter now because she refused to give up, even when she didn’t know how she would make it to the end.

Ups and downs along the path

In 2018, Bianca began pursuing a degree with BYU-Pathway . During this time, she was hired at a medical assistance company. Her boss’s admiration of BYU-Pathway helped her land the job and became an important source of strength when her studies became more challenging.

Then, just one year from graduation, Bianca started to feel frustrated and tired. She wasn’t sure she was going to make it even though the finish line was so close.

Bianca remembers a specific time when she had no idea how she was going to meet a deadline just a few hours away. With doubts spinning in her mind, Bianca kneeled down to pray.

“I remember just praying,” she said. “And after that, I had in my mind clearly what I had to do. ‘First you do this, and then you do that,’ and on and on.” As she worked that night and then every day after, prayer became her personal key to success when challenges arose.

In April 2024, Bianca successfully graduated with a degree in applied business management , but her story doesn’t end there. “Now, I am able to harvest the rewards of graduation,” she said.

The rewards of education

Since graduating, Bianca has received a promotion and raise at her company. She now works as the team leader for the company’s largest client, overseeing both her team and a large number of cases. “We are responsible for the operations industry throughout the Americas,” she said. “And I am the team leader for this specific client, which is very demanding.”

Earning a degree has opened doors to more opportunities for Bianca, like working internationally. Her new position has already given her travel opportunities, fulfilling a lifelong dream she has of living and working abroad.

Thanks to BYU-Pathway, she has more options than ever before and is looking forward to advancing both her career and her education.

Advice to others

Bianca’s story is an example of the blessings and opportunities that can come to you when you prioritize education and refuse to give up.

“Just keep going,” Bianca said. “That's what I did. Sometimes it's going to be tough, but my advice is to keep going, pray about it, and ask for God's guidance and help. He'll give it to you.”