Zoe Slaughter can’t remember anything from the two weeks following her October 2022 car accident, but she’ll never forget how Arkansas Tech University faculty and staff supported her in the days, weeks and months following that life-changing event.
With their help, and that of her boyfriend, Adam Bissell, Slaughter is now an ATU graduate as a member of the class of 2024.
“I was not expecting what the College of Education and Health did for me,” said Slaughter. “They were giving Adam updates and they were sending me baskets and letters. They went to my school and got all my students to write me get well cards. I felt very loved and very cared for. They didn’t have to do any of that, and they did. It would’ve been easy to just say ‘you got in a wreck, too bad,’ but they really worked with me. Them doing all they did made it possible for me to come back.”
Slaughter took concurrent classes through ATU during her time as a student at Two Rivers High School in Yell County. After she graduated from high school in 2019, the scholarships she earned made it possible for her to continue her studies as a full-time Arkansas Tech student on the Russellville campus.
“I came from a poor background, and I knew the only way to not continue living the way I’ve lived my entire life was to get an education so I could get a better job,” said Slaughter. “I’ve loved learning my entire life. I always knew I wanted to go to college, I just wasn’t sure what for.”
An opportunity provided by Two Rivers High School illuminated her path.
“In my senior year of high school, I took an early childhood education class,” said Slaughter. “We went to the local preschool, and we were able to plan a lesson for them. I loved it and knew that was what I wanted to do.”
Slaughter began her studies at Arkansas Tech in fall 2019. Three years later, she was an ATU senior and on her way to watch a movie in Russellville one evening when another driver’s car collided with hers.
“I didn’t wake up until like two weeks later,” said Slaughter. “That’s when my memory starts to come back.”
Slaughter was left with several broken bones and was in the hospital for a total of three weeks before moving to a rehabilitation facility. Soon after, she was back home in Yell County.
“When I got home, it was just a lot of sitting around in this wheelchair,” said Slaughter. “I couldn’t really do things, and that was very different for me because I’ve been the homemaker, home caretaker, do everything…dinners and stuff like that…for so long. It was weird just sitting there and letting things happen around me.”
One of Slaughter’s strongest supporters during difficult times has been Bissell, who graduated from ATU in December 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
“He was going to his observations and classes and then immediately driving back to Little Rock to come see me in the hospital all the time,” said Slaughter. “Thank God he’s a nurse. I don’t know what I would’ve done without having a nurse with me this entire time. He’s been my rock.”
Dr. Theresa Cullen from the ATU College of Education and Health faculty and Amy Pennington, ATU dean of students, were among those who worked together to ensure that Slaughter would be able to continue her studies and complete her degree.
“They arranged it such that my scholarships were placed on hold and it wasn’t going to count against me so I could come back when I was ready,” said Slaughter. “I decided to wait until I could get out of the wheelchair, so I came back in the fall (of 2023). I still had some mobility issues. Walking around and doing everything was very taxing, so I got a walker that I could sit on and take breaks.”
Slaughter began physical therapy to help build her stamina so she could continue pursuing her education and her dream of becoming a teacher.
That dream was brought into focus by her experiences observing classes and completing her student teaching internship at Crawford Elementary School in Russellville.
“I fell in love with the school and the atmosphere,” said Slaughter. “Everyone is so nice to each other. At Crawford, everybody is together and one big team. I thought that was amazing to see. I also learned a lot of techniques to keep the kids’ attention and how to build their vocabulary. I feel like I have created a lot of connections that will help me later on.”
Slaughter graduated from ATU on Saturday, May 11, with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education.
“I did it…I finally did it,” said Slaughter. “It’s bittersweet because it’s not what I pictured. I’m glad I didn’t let everything keep me down and set me back. It would have been really easy to just give up, but that’s not what I wanted to do.”
This is supposed to be the part of the story with the happy ending. It’s supposed to read that Slaughter is fully healed and ready to begin her teaching career in the fall.
That’s not how it is. Not yet.
“Last week, on Monday, I was standing in the hallway at my school,” said Slaughter. “I thought my knee popped out of place. Turns out it didn’t. My rod snapped, so I rebroke my leg. I finished out my last week-and-a-half with a broken leg.”
Slaughter underwent additional surgery after completing the spring semester. She will spend the next several months repairing and preparing herself physically before she applies for the teaching position she has endured so much to pursue.
“I’m tired of being God’s strongest warrior,” said Slaughter. “I’d like a little break sometime, but I feel like it made me who I am. It takes a lot to get me to the point where I give up. That has helped me a lot with my classes as well as working with the kids in the schools. I really feel that I can understand the backgrounds these kids come from because I was there myself. I know how to speak to them and create those bonds better than I would have otherwise.”
