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April 2014
Erin Cohen had been out of high school for two years when reality hit like a ton of bricks. Either find joy in flipping burgers, she thought, or she’d better get more education.
She knew what she had to do. She packed her bags and left her home in Spokane, Washington, to enroll in BYU-Idaho.
Erin is a yoga master. She loves the feel of the body in motion and the muscles as they stretch. To her, the joy of motion is more than exulting; it is a balm for healing.
But to reach her potential she knew she needed more knowledge and understanding than mere exercise routines. She needed a comprehensive and detailed study of physiology. “Our world today has made it okay to be obese, when, in reality, it isn’t,” she said. “That attitude needs to change.”
In her studies, Erin has learned a great deal about the body. “It will play well with my yoga. I feel I have achieved more than what I came for. My toughest decision now is to decide whether to go for more education or go into practice.”
With her education has come a desire to use her newfound skills to bless others. “I want to open my own studio and team up with other professionals to use yoga to treat specific ailments that need regular training sessions to heal.”
As her education draws to a close, and she reflects on the simple joy of walking across campus, she feels a yearning to teach others how to live healthy and vibrant lives. “I would love to spread the awareness and importance of living healthy,” she said.
“I honestly feel that without scholarship help I would never have been able to participate in extracurricular activities like teaching yoga classes and being involved in fitness activities where I learned to apply my classroom learning,” she said.
Because of donors, Erin said she has come to know the joy of a healthy human body and its ability to move with grace and strength, while being spared a life of burger flipping.
Help other students like Erin by providing scholarships and grants at BYU-Idaho
BYU-Idaho awards scholarships to students who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in academics, leadership, service, talent, or major.
Grants-in-aid allow us to meet the needs of students who may not qualify for scholarship awards or require extra support to reach their educational goals.
“My art scholarship pushed me to always do my best work,” said Erica Rascon (Houston, Texas). “We can have incredible experiences if we show the initiative. Through just living, learning and experiencing, I have made amazing discoveries about myself. I now have a better feel for how I can make my greatest contributions to the world.”
Guided by faith and a heart for service, Kevin and Leslie Twitchell have dedicated their lives to helping BYU-Idaho students thrive, leaving a lasting legacy of generosity and commitment that is impacting people around the world.
When life changed suddenly, education became the obvious answer.