When Elina Rivas was told that she may never walk again, no one said anything about graduating from the University of Arizona with a baby on her hip.

Seven years ago, Rivas was lying in a hospital bed recovering from emergency surgery after an abnormal clump of veins on the right side of her brain caused severe bleeding. Her doctors weren't sure exactly how much damage the injury caused, but finishing college seemed out of the question.

Now, Rivas is just days away from earning a bachelor of science degree in animal sciences from the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. She is one of roughly 9,000 students who will be awarded degrees at the U of A's 161st Commencement on May 16. 

Rivas may have started her degree for herself, but said she is finishing her Wildcat journey to show her daughter, Alaia, that hard work and determination pay off in the end. 

"It means a lot to be able to graduate, especially now that I have my daughter," Rivas said. "Hopefully, my journey has shown Alaia that no matter what, you don't give up. I could have easily said school was too hard, but I kept pushing to the end. I hope she is proud of me, because I never quit."

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Rivas first enrolled at the U of A in the fall of 2018 and was nearing the end of her first year when she collapsed at home and was taken to the hospital. Rivas long suffered from headaches and was shocked to discover she had an arteriovenous malformation – a tangle of vessels that can alter or disrupt blood flow – on the right side of her brain. 

What started as a severe headache one afternoon soon became a life-or-death situation. 

"I was getting ready to go grocery shopping with my boyfriend, and it suddenly felt like someone was hitting me on the side of my head with a bat," Rivas said. "I remember feeling really dizzy and calling for Xavier because I knew something was wrong. The last thing I remember, I was sitting on the couch. I passed out and had a seizure. Luckily, we lived down the street from the hospital, and my boyfriend got me there in five minutes."

The bleed caused severe irritation and damage to the delicate membrane surrounding Rivas' brain. After multiple surgeries, her doctors said it would be a few years before she could return to anything resembling normal life. 

Despite the traumatic setback, Rivas was determined to return to school. She returned to the U of A in the spring of 2019 and credits the support she received from the Disability Resource Center and the Arizona's Science, Engineering, and Math Scholars Program for helping her overcome the challenge of returning to school. The resource center ensures disability access across the U of A, while the ASEMS program provides support to first-generation students pursuing STEM degrees.

Outside of school, Rivas credits her mother, Elia, for assisting her through recovery and returning to the U of A.

"My mom has always been my No. 1 motivation ever since I was in grade school, and supported me through my entire college experience," Rivas said. "She was a single mom of three kids from Mexico, and she taught me to never give up, because she raised those kids by herself."

Rivas originally intended to pursue a master's degree in microbiology but said her priorities changed after the birth of her daughter in 2023. Now, she wants to use her years of lab experience to pivot to a research career. Rivas credits the change in focus to her work alongside Jerry Lopez, associate professor with Cooperative Extension; Sadhana Ravishankar, professor of animal and comparative biomedical sciences; and Michael Riggs, professor of animal and comparative biomedical sciences and pathology.

In her various research roles, Rivas tested irrigation water in Yuma and California for chemical residue and parasites, and assisted in the search for a drug to cure cryptosporidium – a disease transmitted through fecal matter. 

"I enjoy research because it is really interesting to see the impact of your work," Rivas said. "All of the medications we use started from research. Ultimately, I would love to return to animal sciences or another department in the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences and work in a research lab. I could also see myself becoming a lab manager with the Cooperative Extension."

Growing up outside of the small, Central Arizona town of Wickenburg, Rivas rode horses and competed in rodeo from a young age. In high school, she split her time between Wickenburg and a veterinary assisting program in Phoenix and started working in animal hospitals at 16 years old.

After high school, Rivas chose the U of A for its animal sciences program and Tucson's relatively metropolitan atmosphere. She started her Wildcat journey fully determined to become a veterinarian but said she was immediately surprised by the opportunities presented to her by her professors.

"I grew up in such a small town and on a ranch. It felt like being a horse with blinders on," Rivas said. "My whole plan was college, vet school, become a veterinarian. Then I came to the U of A, and it was like taking the blinders off. I could see a whole new world. There are so many opportunities in the veterinary medicine industry, and working in research labs showed me that."