Krystina Bailey was on the way to her 1 p.m. psychology class at Cedar Crest College on March 30 when she got a frantic call from her younger brother. The family's home in Slatington was on fire. Bailey got in her car and called her sister while rushing home. She was concerned that her grandmother might be trapped inside the house.

"I was very scared on my way home, but it turned out that the mailman was on the block already when the fire started and he helped her out of the house," said Bailey, recalling that chilling Wednesday afternoon when five homes were evacuated.Once she realized none of her family members were injured in the blaze, she was left to deal with the daunting reality of the situation: Here Bailey was, a social work major six weeks from graduation, with virtually nothing left of her longtime home and possessions. Family members also had to split up and stay with friends and family for a couple of weeks, which added stress."School is very important to me. The fire posed a big problem to finishing out my semester and my college career because I had literally lost everythingschool books, notebooks, notes, my laptop, and my previously saved documents, clothing, shoes, glasses, contacts, etc.in that fire," she said. "I didn't even have a pen to write with anymore. The only school material I had on me was the folder I had for that psychology class. Everything else was gone."With the aid of the community at large, and her Cedar Crest College family, Bailey has been able to replace her school books and supplies and graduate in Maydespite all of the obstacles."I was able to overcome these challenges through the amazing help of my friends, family and neighbors. Very generous donations came to our family from all different directions," she said. "My friends at Cedar Crest College were amazing as well, collecting money and donations for me. It was really great that the Cedar Crest community were able to come together to help me and my family."The Cedar Crest community purchased Bailey a gift card for a local retail chain, with which she bought some essentials including clothes, bed linens, shampoo, and a host of other items. The faculty was also instrumental in helping her catch up on her studies during the stressful time."My professors were awesome in working with me. They all told me I had nothing to worry about, that I had plenty of time to get my things in. Whatever worked best for me, they were willing to work around deadlines," she said. "I am actually the first of my siblings to go to college and finish. I needed to do this not only for my family, but for me, too. I want to make a difference in the world."Associate Professor of Social Work Kathleen Boland, Ph.D., said Bailey's willingness to tackle her challenges head on was instrumental in helping her to graduate on time."Krystina is a student who is serious about her education, even calling her social work professors on the day of the house fire to let us know of the fire and that she may not make it to class," said Boland, who is Bailey's senior adviser. She said psychology faculty members Diane Moyer, Ph.D., Micah Sadigh, Ph.D., and nursing faculty member Lisa Lacko, MSN, were among those who gave extra to help make it work. "She was very motivated to continue her education and she presented us with a plan to complete her work. With her so strongly motivated, we were able to work with all her professors to come up with a plan in order to have her graduate with her class."The Baileys haven't decided yet whether to rebuild their house or buy one in another location. They are currently staying in a rented house a few minutes from their former residence. Either way, Krystina knows the time has come to begin the next chapter of her life. She is currently seeking employment, and hopes to get a job doing social work at a nursing home or hospital."I have loved my years here at Cedar Crest. I have created a lot of great memories and made great friends here. I have received an amazing education here," she said. "Graduation is exciting and nerve-wracking. I'm excited that I'll be able to go out and experience the world differently but at the same time, I'm not exactly sure what to expect. It's exciting, but scary."