Ain’t nothing gonna break her stride.
Just two weeks after she walks the Lawn on Sunday to receive her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, Brittany Toth will attend her first day of classes for a master’s degree. Full speed ahead, as always.
A transfer student from Piedmont Virginia Community College, where she earned her associate’s degree in business administration, the member of the Raven Society and Alpha Sigma Lambda finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia in two years through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
She did it with the hammer down, balancing a full course load with roles on the Honor Committee and Student Council, serving as a peer mentor, and working full-time as a licensed practical nurse while somehow carving out time for herself and her husband.
Be it spring semester, fall semester, January term, summer term or another offering, Toth was registered and ready. And she did it all while dealing with an autoimmune disease called ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that can create numbing fatigue, chronic pain and serious health issues, including inflammation of the eyes.
“My major thing is just pushing through,” Toth understated. “I’ve tried medications that are supposed to help, but they haven’t necessarily. Sometimes I’ve had to go on steroids, especially for my eyes, and I’ve even had to have injections in my eyes because of it. It’s really unpleasant sometimes.”
A proud Wahoo, Brittany Toth shows off her UVA swag. The soon-to-be School of Continuing and Professional Studies graduate says she feels at home on Grounds. (Contributed photo)
It’s a lot, but that’s how Toth rolls.
“There’s a motivation to finish. I work really long shifts on the weekend so I get my full-time hours in, and then I give Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday my undivided attention for classes and class work. On Tuesday nights, I’m usually doing case reviews when I get selected for panels on the Honor Committee,” Toth said.
“It’s a matter of just having to block off my time so I still have time to spend with my husband, our pets, and things like that. It’s constantly having to find the most well-rounded way to go about it, but still do a good job,” she said. “I’m trying to be as involved as I can, despite the fact that I don’t always feel too spectacular.”
Toth, who will soon start the School of Continuing and Professional Studies’ Master of Public Safety program, has many motivators. One is the fact the Chesterfield native is attending UVA, a place that once felt out of reach.
“When I was in fifth grade, I went to a Build-A-Bear Workshop, and they had a UVA shirt and a ribbon you could get for your teddy bear, and that’s what I chose. Out of all the outfits I could have picked, that’s the one I wanted,” she laughed.
Toth earned her certificate as an LPN at Chester Career College and went to work. When she married and moved to Charlottesville, she found PVCC and its connection to UVA.
“Attending UVA was something that I’d always wanted to do, but I didn’t get the opportunity. So being able to work full-time and finish my bachelor’s degree is like a blessing,” she said.
“I’ve always been captivated by how beautiful the campus is. Now it’s so local, and if I ever need something, I can go on Grounds, even though I’m technically a distance learner,” she said. “There’s something about it so prestigious, so beautiful. I can’t even put it into words.”
