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accident. She also was pregnant with her first child.
• She opted to return to her family farm to help out.
• As she said during the graduation, "life happened."
• But Noem persevered. Later, as she was a mother of three and member of the state Legislature, she resumed her college career, taking courses and fitting in homework whenever she had a spare minute. She was elected to the U.S. House in 2010.
• She said she wanted to set an example for her children.
• She has. And when she received her degree in political science, she also has

set an example for anyone who has heard her story.
• Life does happen, and curve balls do tend to be lobbed in everyone's direction.
• But, as Noem said during a speech, "your journey is determined by how you react."
• We don't always agree with Noem politically. But all politics aside -- after all, she is in a race to retain her seat in Congress -- we appreciate that Noem finished this improbable journey, setting an example not only for her own children but also for many others who may feel they can't finish what they started.
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