Graduates Celebrated for Excellence

At 19, when most teenagers are graduating from high school, Viviene Dyer was just beginning her studies.

Financial hardship and periods of homelessness delayed her education, but they never defeated her determination. Fueled by faith and hard work, she not only completed high school in two years but did so with honors. 

Life would later cause her to pause again, but Dyer never lost sight of the dream God had planted in her heart. Four years after high school, she enrolled in college.

A single mother, hit hard by divorce and illness, Dyer earned her bachelor’s degree the same day as her daughter. Balancing coursework with a full-time job once again, she went on to earn an MBA and a post-graduate diploma.

But on Sabbath, May 9, that dream came full circle.

Standing before the congregation at All Nations church in Berrien Springs, Dyer testified to God’s faithfulness—a journey that culminated in one of the greatest milestones of her life: a Doctor of Philosophy in higher education administration from Andrews University. Across five grueling years as an international student, the Jamaican native maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, supported by sponsors, mentors, friends and family. 

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