Triumph through Tragedy
11/17/18 – East Peoria, IL – Fall was approaching with dreams and passions that were burning deeply inside of me. The thought of finally getting to complete my education was thrilling yet terrifying. As I started my path at Illinois Central College, I had no idea the magnitude for which I was about to encounter. While choosing my classes, I stumbled on a class that was related to film. My first instinct, honestly, was, how hard can a film class be? I believe I even joked about it being a “fluff” class. A fluff class is defined as an easy class. I had no idea how powerful that class was going to end up being. The irony of it all was that it just wasn’t the class itself that was going to hold so much passion, but the instructor herself.
You see, I wasn’t your average college student. I had been diagnosed with Vulvar Cancer shortly after I enrolled. Cancer within itself is always a struggle, but being a full-time student, running two businesses at home and dealing with what would come, would soon serve as my stepping stone to what I now call the unstoppable.
Professor Jennifer Richrath has so much compassion and heart for her students’ success. Her drive to go above and beyond with spreading her knowledge about film and the aspects of what makes a great film is beyond measure. Her undying need to make a personal connection with me during her class made me feel safe. It made me understand that there are people out there that truly want to help in anyway. For many reasons, Jennifer was my rock, my strength, my push for success with education. She showed me that, despite all odds, I can overcome anything, and nothing is too big to defeat me. It’s like she was the medicine to my kryptonite which I call my cancer. There were healing properties within her teaching. Learning about film techniques and lighting was truly cool but learning that there was a type of film called Film Noir was simply breathtaking to me. Somehow, I was able to take that desire within the film and apply it to my life. You see, it wasn’t what the film was about, but the love, the depth found a way to live inside of me. The life that grew within, made me stronger, made me want to fight even harder, as my end goal has always been Bradley University. Despite what many doctors told me, despite test results and despite what was supposed to be inevitable, not only did I push through that, I conquered my uphill battle for the first time with Vulvar Cancer by semester’s end.
Fast-forwarding to the following spring semester, I kept in touch with Jennifer. She was still my backbone, my go-to person, even though I didn’t get to see her as much. I held her beliefs and her strength inside me, knowing she wanted to see me succeed. I never forgot as the cancer came creeping back again, but this time deadlier. I knew the odds were greater when it came to my losing the battle. I slipped through my classes but came back twice as strong during the 16 weeks summer courses. Many people around me often told me, “you got this,” or, I will pray for you. But, time and time again, my brain reverted to those films and my instructor. The heated feeling that I got every single time almost felt like it was the driving force to beat cancer altogether. Medicine can do wonders, but the mental power that strikes within, I believe is even stronger. I don’t believe for one second that the burning desire to succeed didn’t play a pivotal part in my healing. I don’t believe for one minute that my instructor’s push wasn’t one reason that I kept fighting. I believe that what lies within her, was passed onto me and to this day, I live to succeed.
By all accounts, I should be dead right now. I had a time clock ticking away. But the love of film and the push from my instructor was enough to keep me going even up until this point currently. One important fact is that I didn’t just beat cancer once, not even twice but three times since her class. Now, I am coming to a very bittersweet close to Illinois Central College as I only have two semesters left, not counting the current one. Although I am excited to embark on my journey at Bradley University, I will never be able to forget Professor Jennifer Richrath, who teaches Film 110, and teaches how to live through what were the darkest hours of my life.
As I end this submission, I look back as to what started out as just another class, and ended up being a lifelong
lesson of power, hope, and well, simply amazing heart that all came from one human being, Professor
Jennifer Richrath.
By Allison Salinas