Shawn Kelley doesn’t want to hear any excuses of why someone can’t come back to school. After a life-altering accident, his wife convinced him that he could do something he didn’t know he could – he started college at 57 years old. “She supported me emotionally the entire time,” he said. “When I thought about giving up, she convinced me to stick with it.” He earned his first degree in December 2024 (Human Services) and later this month he will cross the stage with a second degree (Chemical Dependency Counseling). Then it’s on to helping others. “I want to become a chemical dependency counselor and help others beat their addictions.” 

Kelley is living proof that people can overcome hurdles, and TC3 can help them. “I dropped out of high school in 11^th grade. I had been out of school for nearly 39 years when I started college. I worked full-time throughout my time at TC3,” he said. “When I hear someone say ‘I can’t go back to school because I’m too old, I dropped out of high school, or because I work full time,’ I am not ashamed to call them out.”

With the support of his wife and everyone at TC3, Kelley hasn’t just gotten by in college – he has thrived, making the Dean’s List, being inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, and graduating with honors. “All my professors were wonderful. Any time I needed extra help, they were there for me,” he said, noting that he also often utilized the tutoring center. 

While Kelley thanked everyone he encountered at TC3, he had particular praise for three people. “The first is Patty Tvaroha,” he said. “She was my advisor as well as my professor for my human services classes. Patty pushed me when I didn’t think I could go on and she never lost faith in me.” The second is Assistant Professor Amy Faben-Wade. “Amy is the one who talked to me about becoming a substance abuse counselor,” he said. “Amy has taught most of my classes for chemical dependency counseling and has been a wealth of knowledge for me. Both Amy and Patty are always willing to lend an ear when a student needs it.”

Kelley’s final spotlight is on Chrissie Askew, the faculty suite administrative assistant and a familiar face to every student on campus. “Chrissie has been so encouraging to me, and I can’t come up with the words to describe how much her support has meant to me throughout my time at TC3.”