McKay School of Education > News > Aimee Tubbs
Aimee Tubbs
After years of dealing with diminished eyesight, Aimee Tubbs decided to extend her education so she could be an “effective advocate and resource” for children, especially those with disabilities. To accomplish this, Aimee is currently pursuing a education specialist’s degree (EdS) in school psychology in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education.
From the time Aimee was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease in her early 20s, she took the trial in stride and began praying to know what she was meant to learn from it and how she could use her experience to help others. “I want to be an example to my family of resilience, of someone who trusts in the Lord,” she said. “I want them to know that it’s okay to be different and that people with disabilities can achieve—they just have to do it differently, and sometimes they have to work a little harder.” Aimee refused to give up when things became hard, because she knew she would be blessed for pressing forward.
Aimee received a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Utah Valley University in 2002. As she pursues the EdS degree at BYU, Aimee’s hard work and determination have earned her a Poulsen Scholarship, which is awarded by the Utah Council of the Blind to people who are blind or have low vision. “I am very excited to have been selected, and very humbled,” she expressed. Because the scholarship will help fund Aimee’s education, she hopes to use her degree to “pay it forward” by working as a school psychologist. Particularly, she plans to assist children and their families who live with disabilities.
Aimee chose to attend BYU because of its reputation for quality and because of the opportunity it offers to incorporate religion into her education. Her other favorite aspects of BYU include the people in her cohort, the Harold B. Lee Library, and the Rice Krispie bars from the CougarEat. In addition to using her degree to help people as a school psychologist, Aimee wants to give back in the religious area as well. “When I grow up, I want to be a missionary,” she said. “I want to use the skills I learned in this program at BYU and the experience I will gain working in schools to help children and families in other places around the world.”
Although she was born in Denver, Colorado, Aimee can’t really call one place home because she grew up in a military family. Aimee met her husband, Randy, in the Netherlands while her father was stationed there. Randy is a captain in the Utah Air National Guard, and he will soon be promoted to major. Aimee and Randy have three children: Adam, Zach, and Jaxon. “I couldn’t do all that I do in school and at home without their great support and help,” Aimee expressed. Aimee’s hobbies include traveling, reading, researching family history, volunteering for military family support programs, and baking to relieve stress. “When I’m feeling stressed, I have this need to bake,” she said. “Who in college isn’t stressed?” Aimee also plans to someday write and publish a book.
22 July 2009