Our Stories: Navigating a Non-Traditional Higher Education Path
Throughout Helios’ 20th anniversary, the Foundation is sharing education stories from staff members, highlighting their education journey from getting into college to the individuals who helped them along the way.
As a Senior Information Technology Specialist at Helios Education Foundation, Hugh Hemperly provides Information Technology (IT) support to Helios staff and campus operations in collaboration with the IT team.
Since joining the organization nearly seven years ago, Hugh has earned his bachelor’s degree at Western Governors University along with several certificates. Keep reading to learn about his journey pursuing higher education.
If you could describe in one word what education means to you, what would it be and why?
Opportunity: On one hand, education means gaining meaningful knowledge and improving your life by becoming wiser, industrious, and worldly. On the other hand, it offers the opportunity to step into the shoes of others and gain insight from their perspective. I believe both of those are important to becoming a well-rounded person.
To quote General Jim Mattis, “If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you.” I take that as both comforting and a call to action. It is not reasonable to think we can figure it all out on our own, and it is our responsibility to use teachings from the past to be our best.
Tell us about your education journey:
Despite my love for learning, I wasn’t a very good student. I struggled to complete assignments and follow guidelines while still wanting to devour information and curiously investigate topics. I did well enough to enter a small, dual-enrollment high school pilot program called Students On Academic Rise (SOAR) while living in Lancaster, California. The SOAR students were housed on a community college campus and took classes there as freshmen. The idea was to create a pipeline for all students to enter university after high school.
Due to financial and family struggles, I eventually lost motivation to pursue college. After graduating high school, my father and I moved to Oregon to explore opportunities in a new environment. I started working in a factory making power tools, and within six months, I knew I needed more for myself.
I applied and was accepted into the University of Oregon. I was excited and making all the necessary preparations for that transition, then one week away from moving into my dorm, I got the bill for my first semester. I was still considered an out-of-state student, so my tuition would be more than $10,000 just for the first semester. My fear of debt and its effects on my family came rushing back, so I pulled the plug and decided not to attend.
I wanted to give up on pursuing an education but didn’t. I started taking community college classes to build up credits until I qualified for in-state tuition in Oregon. During a break between semesters, I took a 24-hour Greyhound bus to Phoenix, Arizona to visit friends. While in Phoenix, I reunited with my brother, and he shared about his recent move to Phoenix to pursue a career in Information Technology (IT). Instead of attending college, he earned certifications in IT, seeing that as a cheaper and faster option. Shortly after this conversation, I decided to pivot away from community college and started studying to get my IT certification as well. I secured my first job in Phoenix and moved there with college no longer on my mind.
Eventually, I found my way to Helios Education Foundation, surrounded by examples of endless opportunities that finishing college can provide. It took years of discussing options with enrollment counselors and loving encouragement from my soon-to-be wife, Sam, before I finally pulled the trigger. As of August 2025, after nearly three years of schooling, I have achieved my original goal and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management.
What is your earliest memory related to education or being in school?
My Aunt Ty was a remarkable woman for many reasons. She always encouraged me to read, often giving me books and magazines. She specifically loved National Geographic. My Aunt Ty became a teacher after being a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) in World War II. I think about her whenever Helios mentions the importance of reading at a young age. I think she would be proud of what we do.
Anything else you want to share?
In sharing some of my guiding axioms, I hope others may find them useful:
- Rarely is the path forward a straight line, and that’s okay.
- Planning too rigidly is fruitless.
- Strive to do the best you can and work towards a positive end.
- Be kind.
- Leave it better than you found it.
- Trust that your future self can handle challenges you cannot currently imagine.
- Things will work out.