How Minda Found a New Direction After Surviving a Brain Aneurysm

The path to finding your purpose isn't always a straight line. That's something Minda Thurman '18 '23 '26G knows firsthand.

Thurman came to Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) as a transfer student in 2018, and she said she immediately knew it was a better fit than her previous college experience had been.

"I've been in spaces that weren't so welcoming and just really hard to navigate college," she said. "And stepping into online learning with Southern New Hampshire University was just the best thing that I could have done."

She earned her associate degree in liberal arts from SNHU and planned to finish a bachelor's, too. But in February of 2020, she suffered a brain aneurysm and a stroke that interrupted her plans and ultimately rerouted her path forward.

"It shook my whole world," Thurman said.

She said she had to dedicate time to recovery — but she didn't give up on her goal. Instead, she said the experience ultimately inspired her decision to earn a bachelor's in public health from SNHU.

"I knew that after I had, basically, a life-altering experience, that I wanted to help other people," she said. "And I knew that this degree program would be the perfect opportunity for me to help others."

When she returned to school, Thurman said she had different needs and newly acquired disabilities, including short-term memory loss. From there, finishing her bachelor's program wouldn't be easy — but she said she had support along the way.

Getting Support

The Online Accessibility Center (OAC) at SNHU proved to be an important resource for Thurman while she earned her degree.

"They were extremely helpful in just guiding me into ways that would help me to learn better, providing tools, things that would help me," Thurman said. "You know, even reading and visual aids to help me with what I was experiencing."

She said the resources and support she received helped her persevere through her program.

"I couldn't have done it without the support of everyone here (at SNHU)," she said. "So we got the bachelor's, and I said, 'Okay, you know what? Let's keep going.'"

Next, she decided to earn a master's in organizational leadership from SNHU.

On top of the support she received from the OAC, Thurman said the flexibility of SNHU's online programs also made a big difference. "There are deadlines, but you are able to kind of formulate your own schedule," she said.

Knowing she had medical appointments and family responsibilities to keep up with, she said SNHU's format and support made earning a degree possible for her.

Finding Her Purpose

After her brain aneurysm, Thurman said she dedicated herself to supporting other brain aneurysm survivors and working to raise awareness. "Once you get involved and you start helping other people, there's something in you that sparks, and you want to just spread that to everyone else," she said.

Families of brain aneurysm survivors often take on a huge burden while supporting their loved ones, according to Thurman. "And then there are people that went through this, just like I did," she said.

For Thurman, working to spread awareness and provide support to other survivors offered her a sense of purpose that she said she didn't have before. "I really didn't have a clear direction with my life prior to all of this happening to me," Thurman said.

And through her work, she said she's seen other brain aneurysm survivors find this same purpose for helping others.

"Everyone has a special part of them that influences other people," she said. "And I want people to be able to see that in themselves."

Through working with other brain aneurysm survivors, she said that she's seen people step into what they were made to do. She said SNHU helps people to do the same thing.

"I think that's a big part of what SNHU does, is guide people to their purpose through the educational experience here," she said.

Family By Her Side

Thurman said that her family, including her kids, have kept her motivated throughout the process of earning her degrees. "My family, my kids, everyone in my life, they drive me in some way," she said.

And while she earned her master's degree, Thurman even had a family member working alongside her. Her cousin earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the same time, and the pair graduated together at their SNHU commencement ceremony in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 2026.

At the end of her three SNHU degree programs, Thurman said she's grateful to be where she is, helping others find their own direction.

"We all have gifts, and we all have talents and things in us that are meant to help other people," Thurman said. "And I feel that this is what I'm supposed to do."

Mars Girolimon '21 '23G is a staff writer at Southern New Hampshire University where they earned their bachelor’s and master’s, both in English and creative writing. In addition to their work in higher education, Girolimon’s short fiction is published in the North American Review, So It Goes by The Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, X-R-A-Y and more. Connect with them on LinkedIn.