By Maria Gonzalez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MAY 15, 2025 – Joy Cain, a UTRGV graduate who earned her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling on Wednesday during a doctoral hooding ceremony, shared that her journey was shaped not only by her studies but also by a life-changing challenge: battling breast cancer while pursuing her degree.

She credits her academic work for helping her stay grounded through that difficult time. Cain dedicated her dissertation, "Breast Cancer Survivors' Readiness-to-Work Perceptions: A Pilot Study," to giving voice to survivors like herself.

“The impact of cancer cannot be overstated. It impacts every area of your life in a very dark way,” Cain said. “My doctoral studies kept me tied to purpose. They gave me meaning – and hope.”

A VOICE FOR SURVIVORS

Cain first became interested in rehabilitation counseling years ago while working as director of a rehabilitation clinic. She enrolled at UTRGV to expand her knowledge and improve her work as a licensed specialist in school psychology. What she found was a field centered on helping people advocate for themselves.

“Rehabilitation and Counseling gave me a strong background in the field of helping others find their own voice and showing them how to use it to help themselves,” Cain said.

Dr. Joy Cain celebrates with her parents, Donna and Harold Cain, who supported her throughout her doctoral journey. (Photo by Jesús Alférez)

Throughout her time in the program, Cain stayed motivated by focusing on her future, even as she navigated uncertainty. She chose to focus her dissertation on studying the return-to-work experiences of breast cancer survivors, a subject she understood so personally. 

“Studying was a way to plan for an uncertain future, and as the days progressed and the treatments succeeded, my studies gave me refuge by taking the focus off me,” she said. “Choosing the dissertation topic I did … allowed me to focus on others who were facing similar circumstances and to know I was not alone.”

The challenges were many, she said, including simply showing up for class some days, and staying mentally focused. Her professors helped her stay the course.

“If not for the devotion and dedication of UTRGV’s professorial team, I could not have finished,” she said. “They all stood behind me, cheering me forward, sometimes even carrying me.”

SUPPORT SYSTEM

Cain thanked her family, too, for their constant support. Her parents, Donna and Harold Cain, cared for her when she could not care for herself. Her brother and sister-in-law helped her manage her responsibilities at home. And one friend in particular, Jennifer Jazinski, played a key role in helping her stay mentally engaged.

Dr. Joy Cain celebrates earning her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling with her dog, Juliette, who brought her comfort throughout her academic journey. She shared, “When in doubt, buy the puppy. Life’s too short to go without puppy kisses.” (Photo by Jesús Alférez)

Cain is proud of her dissertation work, especially because it gave other survivors a chance to share their voices.

“I did not realize at the time how important those stories would be,” she said, “but they represent profound voices of survivors who found a way to live through a tough situation.

“To quote Winston Churchill’s wartime message: ‘Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.’

“In life, the struggles we face are all battles,” she said.