‘Failure wasn’t an option’

Ashley Thrower came to Carolina for one reason: to get a college degree and become a physician.

Even when she gave birth to her daughter Ava on Feb. 3, 2014 and the initial plan went off course, Thrower never strayed away from that goal.

“I told myself ‘I’m not leaving this state without both of those things,’” she said recently. “I was determined and when I saw my daughter’s face I said ‘We’re going to do this.’”

The 22-year-old single mother is now half way to those goals as she prepares to receive her bachelor’s in biology at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Winter Commencement on Dec. 13.

“Failure wasn’t an option,” she said. “I don’t want my daughter to think that if something happens to her that’s not in the plan that you just stop what you’re doing and don’t finish. I’m not the type of person to start something and not finish it.”

When Thrower joins the more than 2,000 University of North Carolina students graduating at the annual ceremony at the Dean E. Smith Center, she will be earning the degree she had been working toward since elementary school.

A native of Miami, Thrower first fell in love with science after watching an ostrich egg hatch in her classroom. The experience left her fascinated with anything science-related and with the aspiration of becoming a marine biologist — or more specifically, a killer whale trainer.

As her education progressed, though, Thrower began leaning toward a white coat instead of a wet suit.

“As I got older, I realized I couldn’t form the type of interpersonal relationships and communications with animals like I can with people,” she said. “Science and serving people go well together, so why not pursue medicine?”

The pursuit first led Thrower to Florida State University’s Department of Biological Studies. With a 3.5 GPA during her first year at FSU, she transferred to Carolina in 2012 for her sophomore year — a move she had long intended to make.

“It was a different transition, but it wasn’t hard because this is the type of life I’ve always wanted to live,” Thrower said of the transfer to Chapel Hill.

Once at Carolina, Thrower continued to thrive in the classroom, and in 2013 she was accepted into the UNC School of Medicine’s Medical Education Development Program, an academic preparatory summer program for disadvantaged students with an intensive curriculum that mimics the first semester of medical and dental school.

The program, designed to give students an insight into the realities of medical school, was difficult enough. But midway through the program, Thrower was handed a challenge outside the classroom — she was unexpectedly pregnant.

“I messed up my life, everything is over,” she recalled thinking. “You’re going through a rigorous program, you’re basically taking your first year of medical school in one summer. UNC School of Medicine is going to see these grades, so if I mess up, they’re going to think I’m not cut out to be in their medical school.”

Still, Thrower persevered and finished with a recommendation to UNC School of Medicine.

Throughout the fall semester — Thrower’s hardest course load at Carolina — she juggled classes with doctor’s appointments and the biological changes of pregnancy. At the start of spring semester, she was nine-months pregnant.

“I told my teachers when the classes started that I could have this baby at any time, but I’m going to stick this through,” she said. “Everybody kind of thought I was crazy because I didn’t know what it meant to have a baby, I didn’t know how to take care of a baby. I had never even changed a diaper before. But I held on.”

On Feb. 2, after not feeling well in class, Thrower took the bus to the hospital where she spent the night studying for a biochemistry exam — and awaiting labor. The next day, she gave birth to Ava.

Less than a week later, Thrower was back in class — acing an analytical chemistry test just days after bringing her baby home. She finished the semester with a 3.7 GPA.

“It was a lot,” she said. “I kind of got right back into it. I don’t even know how. … It’s definitely very difficult to be pre-med student and raise a child. You have to have really good time management skills.”

An understanding group of professors also helped.

“Professors have really, really worked with me when it comes to me and my daughter,” she said. “They’ve been understanding. I’ve had professors let me bring her to office hours. I’ve even had professors hold her. It’s been really great.”

On top of classes and driving her daughter to daycare, Thrower was also preparing for the MCATS to apply for medical school — earning her way into UNC’s School of Medicine.

As Thrower now prepares to complete here undergraduate career at Carolina, she admits the journey was not quite as planned. But she said she wouldn’t trade her experience for anything.

“I do feel I sacrificed opportunities to do things like study abroad,” she said. “But the experience that I’ve gained and the maturity and personal growth that I’ve gained being a mom, I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Not a trip to France or the Galapagos.”