At 72 years old, Yoellah Yuhudah embarked on a remarkable journey to relearn Hebrew, a language she had once known but had forgotten over the years. Despite facing learning disabilities, Yoellah's determination and the support she received from BYU Continuing Education (BYU CE) motivated her to continue pursuing her dream.
Originally from Chicago, Yoellah has lived in Hawaii for the past 30 years. However, her journey with Hebrew began much earlier. "I lived in Israel for five years, from 1975 to 1980, and I used to speak [Hebrew] fluently," she says. Over time, without regular practice, she found herself losing touch with the language. "You don't use it, you lose it," she notes.
Determined to reclaim this part of her identity, Yoellah turned to BYU Independent Study. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and having studied at BYU herself, Yoellah had long been aware of the BYU Independent Study program. “One day,” she recounts, “I was online, looking at the courses, and said, 'Well, why don't I take Hebrew?'" This decision marked the beginning of a challenging yet rewarding journey.
The support system at BYU CE proved to be a game-changer for Yoellah. The Student Success Center and the Accommodations Office played pivotal roles in her success. Adult attention deficit disorder and dyslexia hindered her efforts in her first two attempts at completing the Hebrew 131 course. However, dedicated and charitable BYU CE employees provided personalized assistance, ensuring that Yoellah had the tools and resources she needed to thrive.
"They allowed me certain perks that helped me through the course," Yoellah explains. One such accommodation was the ability to take her tests in person at a BYU location in Hawaii. Even with personalized help, Yoellah had to navigate her learning disabilities herself and find effective ways to study. "I had to really take my time and teach myself how to learn," she says. The support from BYU CE staff, particularly Kate Ashton from the Student Success Center, was instrumental. "Kate really helped me the first semester," Yoellah recalls.
Yoellah's dedication and the unwavering support from BYU CE culminated in a significant achievement. She successfully completed her Hebrew 131 course, proving that age and disabilities can be overcome by hard work and dedication to learning.
As much as Yoellah’s story is a testament to her resilience and effort, she believes that she had extra help in achieving her goal. One of Yoellah’s primary motivations for learning Hebrew was to better understand the Bible. “I really love the word,” Yoellah shares. “The whole quest of learning Hebrew is to learn what God has said.” For this reason, Yoellah believes that divine help has been crucial to her success and that her life is now being blessed as she develops the talents that God has given her.
Yoellah's experience with BYU Independent Study has been so positive that she recommends it to everyone. "BYU expands your mind. You need to keep active, especially for senior citizens. The best thing you can do is take a course, take any course, anything BYU," she says.
BYU Continuing Education's commitment to inclusivity and personalized support made a profound difference in Yoellah's life. For Yoellah Yuhudah, a dream that once seemed far out of reach has become a reality.
