In early 2024, Kiolika Coren spent two weeks in the hospital while fighting a life-threatening medical condition.
But the recent SJNY Online graduate was focused on finishing up her schoolwork so she could cross the stage and receive her diploma this past May.
So Coren persevered. And she crossed the stage.
“The best thing I can think of to summarize my journey is that the road has not been easy, but in the end, it has all been worth it,” said Coren, 40, who earned a B.S. in General Studies after making her way from her home in North Carolina to St. Joseph’s May 23 commencement ceremony at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
Her Journey Before SJNY Online
A veteran of the U.S. Army and a current member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Coren is no stranger to perseverance in the face of adversity.
“I joined the Army as a dental assistant after taking my oath in 2005,” Coren said. “My original goal was to be a pediatric dentist. After my training was complete, I was sent to Germany for my first duty station. It was my first time away from home, at the age of 21, so I got home sick in a bad way.
“Leaning on the others who had already gone through it helped me to not be so depressed,” she continued. “It was an experience that taught me many lessons, including love, loss, and lifelong friendships.”
After Germany, Coren was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During that time, she was deployed to Afghanistan, where she worked in the Craig Joint Theater Hospital.
Now, the Boston native serves as a unit training manager for the U.S. Air Force Reserves, where she ensures members are progressing in training according to regulations set by the U.S. Air Force.
Getting a Degree with SJNY Online
Coren, who works at a post office in Fayetteville, North Carolina, originally decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in order to open more doors in her future.
“Having a bachelor’s degree will allow me the opportunity to become an officer in the military and make it easier for me to be promoted to a higher level,” said Coren, who learned about SJNY Online through the Air Force. “In my civilian career, I will have more job opportunities.”
While she wasn’t sure what degree she wanted at first, Coren knew which school she would be choosing.
“I chose St. Joseph’s University because I liked the story of how the school started, and I liked what it represents today,” she said. “There, I found the general studies program, and after reading about it, I decided it was the right program for me.”
Now that she’s completed her degree, she couldn’t be more proud of herself.
“It feels like one of the greatest accomplishments of my life!” Coren said. “I honestly feel a bit off because now I don’t have any classes or assignments.”
A Life-Threatening Medical Condition
While preparing for her final semester at SJNY Online in late January, Coren began experiencing debilitating headaches.
“I went to the Veteran Affairs Urgent Care, where they did a CT scan,” she explained. “The doctor said they did not see anything, and because of my migraine history, they concluded it was that.”
After waking up feeling slightly worse the following two days, Coren went back to the urgent care and was sent home each time.
“At this point, the pain was truly killing me,” Coren said. “I woke up in so much pain on the fourth day, I was crying. The pain had become completely unbearable, and I was not sure how much longer I was going to be able to deal with it. I just knew that if I did not get someone to find out what was wrong, I would not be here much longer.”
Coren’s fiancé took her to the emergency room at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where she was admitted in order to run detailed tests.
“They told me I had several blood clots in my brain, and they were planning to send me to another hospital that specializes in surgery for that situation,” she said. “The woman told me it was a good thing I came in when I did. I had a life-threatening condition going on in my brain for days, and I had no idea.”
Although the other two hospitals wouldn’t take her because her case was too risky, Coren was able to find relief through treatment at Cape Fear.
“It’s funny how we think at times,” she said. “I’m in the hospital worried about finishing school, not even sure if I would have even make it out of there, and everyone else was worried about if I’ll make through this!”
Moving Forward
While the journey to recovery has been long and ongoing, Coren is finally on the mend.
“I spent two weeks in the hospital on rounds of pain meds, ice packs, and continuous blood thinners, with numerous CT, CT-V, MRI, and MRI-V scans to monitor me,” she said.” I also had a spinal tap to help relieve the pressure. By March, the last scan they did showed the blood clots were breaking up and dissolving.”
Aside from the pain in her brain, Coren’s vision was affected to the point where she was seeing double and experiencing stability issues.
“Now that we are six months past my hospitalization, I am doing much better and about 90% back to normal,” she shared. “It was a scary and uncertain time for me and my family, but by the Grace of God, I am still here, healthy, and living life. It was a humbling experience that made me reflect on a lot in life, my fears, my goals, and my plans for the future.”
And while Coren is still taking blood thinners and medication for headaches and pressure on her brain, that treatment should be concluded by next month.
“This experience made me look at life differently, she said. “I feel as though I am more still and serene in a way. That is the best way I can describe it.”
