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For Jessica Esposito ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™19, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™20 M.S. being a Charger is something of a family tradition.

So it was only natural that, as her college search began, she planned to follow in the footsteps of her father, Frank Esposito Jr. ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™84, who recently retired after working at the University for 16 years ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ“ following two decades with the ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ“ and her brother, Anthony Esposito ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™15, by attending the University of New Haven.

As a first-year student, she worked for the late Richard Ward, Ph.D., a former dean of the University of New HavenÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, and, later, for then-dean Mario Gaboury, Ph.D., and then-assistant dean David Schroeder, Ph.D.

"I was fortunate to meet some extraordinary people and make professional friendships with the full-time faculty," Esposito wrote in a recent story published in the . "I was grateful for the opportunity to work there, because in December 2017 my life would change forever."

"IÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™m thankful to everyone at the University who helped me succeed these past few years."Jessica Esposito ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™19, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™20 M.S.

In late October 2017, Esposito thought she had come down with a virus. Over the next two months, she became increasingly weak. By December, she was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that does not have a cure, but can be treated with medication.

Committed to her studies, Esposito persevered and decided to become a part-time student to be able to juggle doctorsÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™ appointments with her course load and her position as a student worker on campus. She completed her bachelorÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™s degree last January and decided to continue her education. She recently completed her masterÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™s degree in investigations.

"I knew it would be a lot of work," said Esposito. "But I was determined to do it."

Esposito will soon transition from student to professor as she will be teaching an online course during the spring semester.

"IÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ™m thankful to everyone at the University who helped me succeed these past few years, and for the amazing opportunity that I will be embarking on," she said.