Utah Mom Earns Degree, Confronts Abuser After 20-Year Journey

When Mary Van Komen signed in at a parole hearing last week, she crossed out one word and wrote another. She changed "Victim" to "Survivor," because that's exactly who she is.

Van Komen was one of at least 16 young girls assaulted by Randall George Noble, who was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 15 years to life in Utah State Prison. For years, she carried crushing guilt because she hadn't spoken up sooner, believing more girls might have been spared.

"I carried that guilt for a very long time because I felt like it was my fault," Van Komen told the Standard-Examiner. The weight of that guilt, combined with failed relationships and family challenges, created decades of difficult times.

Then came a turning point. After her second divorce, Van Komen looked in the mirror and made a decision. "I'm going to go back to school. I'm going to figure out all the answers, and then I'm going to be able to move forward."

Despite struggling through school as a teenager, she discovered something unexpected. "I never thought school would save my life, and it truly has," she said. "It gave me confidence. It taught me a lot of discipline that I thought I had but I did not."

Last year, the Brigham City mom graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Integrated Studies of Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. The education helped her understand herself and her past in ways she never could as a young person.

Now she's raising three sons with a clear philosophy. "When you fall, instead of waiting for someone to help you, you need to get back up," she tells them. "People value endurance and perseverance, rather than victimization."

Why This Inspires

Van Komen's transformation shows how we can turn our deepest pain into our greatest purpose. She's now using her combination of education and lived experience to help other survivors, focusing on love, patience, and judgment-free communication.

At the parole hearing, she offered her fellow survivors support and encouragement. "Go find the answers you keep asking yourself," she told them. Her message is clear: healing happens on your own timeline, and it's never too late to rewrite your story.

Van Komen looks at her future differently now. "My life's not over. My life is just beginning because I finally have the answers."