Misty Peyer remembers her first visit to Spoon River College in Macomb after making the decision to enroll. “I was very nervous, considering I was a non-traditional student in my 30’s and just happened to be covered in tattoos from head to toe, which is definitely something that stands out in a small town like Macomb.”
Peyer found only acceptance, and her confidence has been boosted by her academic success. She is the president of Phi Theta Kappa, was named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-Illinois Team in 2024 after being nominated for the All-USA Community College Academic Team, and has received a number of academic scholarships. A member of TRIO, she will be the first in her family to receive a college degree when she walks across the stage at commencement next Thursday evening.
Peyer’s story could have been much different. Originally from Florida, she is the oldest of five children born to a mother who struggled with addiction, as did Peyer herself for a period of time. But that past addiction and too many foster care experiences are now what drive Peyer to not only succeed but to also help others. She credits Sociology professor Michael Maher with “helping me develop a sociological perspective early on that has helped me in my other classes, in everyday life, and in dealing with what needs to be dealt with.”
Sober for the past eight years, Peyer has learned to “find the light, no matter how bad the situation.” When her oldest brother was hit and killed on his motorcycle, the light came from making the heartbreaking decision to donate his organs. “His heart went to a veteran who had congestive heart failure, his liver went to a school teacher who had suffered from liver disease, and his kidneys helped two people.”
Peyer also finds the light in music, and is a dedicated fan of rapper Yelawolf. In 2017 she attended the Slumfest music event in Tennessee where he was performing, and met a man named Luke who was from Macomb. The two have been together ever since. They married four years ago after he proposed to her in front of the Eiffel Tower while on a trip to Paris. “Music brought us together. We’re blessed.”
Between the two of them, they have a total of 13 nieces and nephews. Driven by memories of less than joyful holidays as a child, Peyer makes sure they all receive birthday and Christmas gifts. “I love Christmas, you can’t shake the jollies off of me! I will never let anyone steal my Christmas joy again, and everybody gets something.” After her brother passed away, Peyer also started a yearly family reunion that she calls “a legacy for the future,” and she makes everyone a t-shirt with a tree of life design.
Peyer is a believer that “The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason,” a quote by singer Jelly Roll, who she also met at a past Slumfest event. “This was in his hip-hop days and he was opening for Yelawolf. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with him and his buddy Struggle Jennings on several occasions. They are both great people, and I admire Jelly’s involvement with at-risk youth.” The singer has opened a music studio inside the Davidson County Juvenile Detentions Center in Nashville, where he was once incarcerated.
Currently a full-time life skills coach at Bridgeway in Macomb, Peyer’s long-term goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work and become either a crisis investigator for the Department of Children and Family Services, or a foster trainer for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. Besides finishing up her last semester at SRC, a full-time job, and helping her sister care for her children, she and Luke are training to become foster parents. She will be the light for others.
“I have had an amazing experience at SRC, and graduating this spring will be bittersweet. I have been treated with kindness and generosity beyond measure by staff and the students. I could not have asked for a better support team than what I found here.”
