After battling depression, senior finds her way back

A student is giving back to the university after Midwestern assisted her when she needed it the most.

After the death of her stepson last August, senior Janna Dalton was on thin ice.

“Over the summer break, I had a very traumatic event in my life,” she said. “My stepson Bret was killed in a three-car collision on State Highway 121.

In that same month, she was dismissed from her job at a local Denny’s.

The panic attacks became overwhelming.

Her depression reached an all-time low.

“I still thought I could complete the semester so I rearranged a few classes on my schedule, but I started having panic attacks and seeped into a huge depression,” she said. “I thought I would have been capable of handling my workload, but the psychological effects on myself and my family were immense.”

Dalton said she dropped out of school in late August. She then had a nervous breakdown in early October.

“I was saddened that I had to drop out during the fall semester because I was so close to graduating,” she said. “I just did not have any other option.”

Two months later, Dalton found herself at Helen Farabee Centers in North Texas to receive treatment for her depression and grief.

“I was at my worst when I lost my job at Denny’s because that was my source of income,” she said. “I had depended upon this job for nearly ten years to support my family. It was scary being with no income.”

Dalton was released from the Helen Farabee Centers in December and was allowed to go back to work.

“My doctor released me to go back to work around the first week of December and then he told me as long as I worked part-time that he would release me to attend Midwestern again, but I owed a balance from dropping out the previous semester, which kept me from being able to register.”

However, Dalton, who is a first-generation college student, said she didn’t give up – not again.

Her divorce in 2005 made her realize that she needed an education to support her children.

“I was stuck working in low paying jobs and I only had a tenth grade education,” she said.

The enrolled and later graduated from Vernon College then took 11 and half years off from school and enrolled at Midwestern in the spring of 2011.

A year later, through Student Support Services, she was able to get the assistance needed with the financial aid and business office to get her hold released.

“We do work with participants who sometimes struggles both academically as well as they have difficulty outside of the classroom standard. We are basically a resource for the university,” said Lisa Estrada-Hamby, director of student support services.

Hamby said in Dalton’s case Student Support Services was able to assist her with tutoring and various workshops that covered learning styles, financial literacy and time management.

“Students have the capability to come to the MaGaha building,” Hamby said. “Us as a staff meet with the students and see where they are and what they need. Our goal is keep them in academic good standing to the point of retention with the final goal of graduation.”

Dalton said if it were not for the people like Perry Griner, university cashier in the business office, she would not be in classes this semester finishing up her final year.

“I wasn’t surprised at the help MSU showed,” she said. “But I was surprised at some of the remarkable people that did so many different [things to help].”

As a first-generation college student, Dalton said her goal is to be the first person in her family to graduate with a college degree.

“I truly am proud to be a MSU student and a first generation graduate,” she said. “I have worked hard to show my children that it takes a good education to succeed in life.”

To give back to a school that had given her so much, Dalton said she began creating a fundraiser effort through her employer Denny’s. By submitting a letter to the Denny’s corporate office describing her story and the contributing factor Midwestern played during times of struggle.

“Denny’s has been a remarkable company for me to work for as a student,” Dalton said. “I thought about Midwestern and giving students discounts and to help financially support MSU for being so good to me throughout my situation.”

The Denny’s on Kemp Blvd. is now giving students a 10 percent discount on all items by showing their student ID. Faculty and staff can bring a game ticket stub from any athletic event and also receive the discount.

“On game days we are busier now because we discount the whole ticket so in essence it helps the community as well because anyone with a game ticket can receive the discount,” Dalton said.

Local Denny’s employees will also be wearing MSU t-shirts on game days to further support the university.

After completing her undergraduate degree in May, Dalton said she plans to attend graduate school at Midwestern.

Even though she still receives counseling from the Helen Farabee Centers, Dalton said despite her struggles, she has learned that there is help out there for those who ask for it.

“Some of the things that have changed in my home since the death of my stepson is we give big bear hugs everyday, eat off our best china and sleep on our finest linen. We no longer save them for guests because you don’t know if the people you love will be here tomorrow.”