LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Graduating from the University of Kentucky's College of Business and Economics feels bigger than just earning a degree for Amber Mandhyan.
"It feels bittersweet, but I'm really excited. I mean, like I said, about a year and a half ago, a little bit longer, I didn't know if I was going to graduate," Mandhyan said.
Mandhyan came to UK chasing the "big university experience" and a future in business law.
"I have always grown up around the business world. My dad is in real estate and my parents both at one point worked for a corporate company, so I guess that is kind of why I just see myself being a part of the family business one day," Mandhyan said.
But everything changed on Oct. 26, 2024 during fall break of her junior year, while she was out celebrating her birthday.
"We took a Lyft car there and back and on our way back we got in an accident," Mandhyan said.
Mandhyan was knocked unconscious and rushed to the hospital. She suffered a traumatic brain injury, a broken jaw, and severe facial injuries.
"I was really worried about coming back to UK with a scar on my face and not speaking the same way as I used to. And just like worrying that people were judging me because it was embarrassing, you know, and even coming around places like this, I was having to, I had prosthetic teeth that I took in and out up until a week ago," Mandhyan said.
After weeks of recovering at home, she wasn't sure if she could keep up academically or graduate with her class. But with accommodations and support from UK staff, she stayed enrolled.
"Genuinely everybody around the UK campus never made me feel that way, and I think that definitely helped bring some confidence back," Mandhyan said.
Now, as she prepares to walk across the stage with two degrees, marketing and accounting, Mandhyan says she's proof resilience can carry you farther than you ever imagined.
"Honestly, they've done a lot of work on my scar and they've done really well but we're almost there. I'm finally done with like all the dental stuff, so I just need to finish like jaw stuff, scar stuff and then you know kind of just rehabilitate but we're getting there," Mandhyan said.
