“Coming from a background where my future was very uncertain, it was something about the atmosphere, the independence and the professors with doctorates telling me to call them by their first name that changed things for me,” Anderson said. “It was something very enlightening and having success in class was a confidence builder. You know, it releases chemicals in your brain; it’s a good feeling. I’ve never lost it. To me, it was coming into myself and realizing I could do something.”