Graduation today - could it be you?

There is a strong group of people who in just an hour or two are going to be Coker College graduates. As one of their instructors, I want to again say congratulations.

As I thought about this ceremony, I also thought of a nephew who is just graduating from college this year in Illinois. "It took me longer than most," he wrote on his Facebook page, "But I am doing it." Mark has children, he is not a traditional student but he persisted and got his degree.

I am wondering about those in today's audience at Coker. I will bet there are some moms, dads, husbands and wives of some of these grads who are saying, 'Man, I wish I could get my college degree." At the risk of being a bit crass on this celebratory day, the answer to that wish is YOU CAN. Coker College has an exciting program for students who cannot attend during the day. Many of today's graduates will be happy to tell you how you can realize that dream. And, my bet is they will not mince their words when they tell you it takes work, sacrifice and a bit of bravery. Today, they will also tell you how much it means to accomplish this goal.

Night Student Finishes last class at Coker College

Captain John McLeod just turned in his final exam in Communication 101 about five minutes ago and that was his last classroom act as an undergraduate. Tonight he finished his requirements for a Coker College degree. John is the Patrol Captain for the Darlington County Sheriff's Department and he has been attending Coker's night program to get his degree in Criminology. Just before we started the exam this evening the class gave him a round of applause for this accomplishment. Most of the night students are what we term "non traditional" in that in addition to pursuing a college degree most of them have families, have full-time jobs and usually a lot of other things going on. But, these night students come to Coker because of the need for a degree. The really interesting thing is that when they leave Coker, many of them take with them a major surprise -- they have found out how much fun learning has been and can be. I was hoping we have a little video here so you can hear that message directly from Captain McLeod but he finished the exam and is probably doing some of his own celebrating. We asked him what he thought as he started this last exam and his words were something like --"It has really passed by fast!" Congratulations to Captain McLeod.

Frances Williams Graduating Saturday

Coker College will be holding its 101st graduation on Saturday, May 2 and Frances Williams will be among the graduates. She is a typical graduate of Coker's Evening Extended Studies program and she is a special graduate of that program. Most of the students in the Evening Program are what we call "non-traditional students." In that way, Frances is pretty typical. But there are some unique aspects to the Coker college career that Frances has forged.

Frances had already had a career before she opted for the Coker education. She spent a full 20 years in the United States Army and retired from the Army as an E-7. In the Marines we called them Gunny and I am not sure what the rank equivalent is for the Army. I do know that E-7s are the supervisory giants who carry a lot of responsibility for the effective operations of their units. That is one reason I was a little surprised when Frances and I were talking the other night at a Roast in honor and I suggested she apply for a supervisory position I heard was open. She said something like, 'I'm not a supervisor.' A 20-year military career and retiring as an E-7 -- that woman is a leader. But, Frances took a unique approach to getting her college education. Coker employees have the benefit of being able to pursue their education at Coker without major tuition expense. So, Frances has been a member of the Coker housekeeping staff for the last several years. Working by day - and sometimes by night -- helping to keep Coker looking like one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Mondays and Thursdays she was in night class, pursing a degree in Criminology. Her determination, work ethic, intelligence and persistence will pay off in the degree on Saturday.

We are saying goodbye to Frances this week. She is actively seeking to put that degree to use as she looks for jobs in fields like police work and other related fields where she can "help people." When Frances and I have talked about what she is going to be doing next, after she jokes about "get a job," she quickly gets serious with the added phrase, "I want to help people."

As I noted in a letter of recommendation that I wrote for her, whatever organization ends up hiring Frances is going to get far more than they will be paying for because she is now a retired E-7 and a college graduate.

That is a quick story of Frances, and one of the great things about the Coker graduation is how many other stories could be told of typical Evening School students who are also unique and different and who will also be giving whatever organization hires them more than they will ever get back in salaries.

One photo shows Frances putting up with a little roasting from Russ and the other is Frances, right, with a friend and coworker.