Fast forward a few years and Laura's daughter Sarah showed interest in the same program. Laura says Sarah was exposed to classroom work and working with children early on when she helped her mom in her Puxico classroom.

My undergrad was in professional writing, but I ended up working as a classroom assistant and really loved working with students with disabilities. We encountered a lot of challenging behavior and so I would ask mom lots of questions about how to respond. As I started asking these questions it just lead into pursuing a career in applied behavior analysis.

Sarah Harp, SEMO Alum

Sarah worked through her degree online from her home in Chicago and came back to Cape Girardeau to walk in the commencement ceremony on May 11, 2024. She and her mom say they have no regrets about the career they both chose to pursue.

"I absolutely love what I do. Sometimes its challengeing but it's definitely rewarding to help those who need it."

After graduating, Sarah plans to use her new degree to advance her career within the Chicago Public School system or check out the clinical side of behavior analysis. Laura says she couldn't be more proud of Sarah and that sharing this experience has allowed them to learn and grow together personally and professionally.