College, Graduation date:
- University of Georgia, May 9-10
- Agnes Scott College, May 10
- Georgia State University, May 10
- Southern Polytechnic State University, May 10
- Clayton State University, May 10
- Mercer University-Atlanta, Macon, law school, May 10
- Emory University, May 12
- Georgia Perimeter College, May 12
- Kennesaw State University, May 13-14
- Georgia Gwinnett College, May 15
- John Marshall Law School, May 17
- Morris Brown College, May 17
- Morehouse College, May 18
- Spelman College, May 18
- Clark Atlanta University, May 19
Bob Brennan was older than everyone in his classes, including his professors. Still, that didn’t stop the 85-year-old former communications professional and journalist from enrolling in Georgia State University to complete his degree.
The technology had changed since he first began his college career in 1951. But that didn’t stop him either, nor did his increasing blindness, which made it necessary for him to receive help from GSU’s disability services to complete his studies.
In the end, it was the math that almost did him in.
“I’ve enjoyed my experience immensely: the professors, other students, all the subjects — except math,” Brennan said. “I had to have a math credit to graduate and had to get two tutors to help me.”
On Saturday, Brennan will receive his bachelor of arts in English alongside thousands of other GSU students.
The state’s graduation season officially kicked off this month with Georgia Tech’s commencement. Most other Georgia colleges are scheduled to graduate students later this month.
Last spring, colleges and universities in Athens and metro Atlanta awarded 53,580 degrees, including almost 29,000 bachelor’s degrees. The number of graduates this year is still being tallied,
For Brennan, commencement marks the achievement of a long-held goal. A career in television journalism interrupted his schooling decades ago. He dropped out, advanced in his profession and ultimately became the spokesman for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He retired and took up gardening after that.
“But I didn’t want to lay around,” he said.
He credits an AARP magazine in a doctor’s office with getting him back to college. It advertised a University System of Georgia program that offers free tuition to seniors over age 62.
That program has been available since at least 2007, said spokesman John Millsaps. It has enabled almost 4,900 seniors to enroll in state colleges, including 1,142 seniors in fall 2012, the most recent year data is available.
At the same time Brennan’s academic career is ending at Georgia State, graduates at Morris Brown College are likely seeing the end of their school as it currently exists. The embattled historically black college, which counts its enrollment at just 35 students, will likely be sold this month. At least two offers have been made to purchase most of the campus property, but school officials have said the college will continue to operate, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Morris Brown owes about $30 million to creditors and filed for bankruptcy in 2012. The college has lost its accreditation and many of its buildings sit shuttered.
Alexis Durr, 21, has been asked repeatedly why she has remained at the troubled school. The psychology major began her studies at another Atlanta college, but financial aid problems led her to Morris Brown — which cost less and waived some fees.
“It’s hard,” she said, choking up. “A lot of people judge us for going here, but they don’t understand the relationship we have with the school. The teachers here are so passionate and the students work hard. Morris Brown teaches you how to survive.”
The college has survived on alumni contributions, as well as donations from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which founded Morris Brown in the 1880s. It has survived long enough to hold another spring commencement, set for May 17, when 12 students will receive diplomas.
That survival instinct was important for Adrian Ford. The New Orleans native survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and was forced to relocate to Atlanta.
Ford, 30, a double major in music performance and choral conducting, worked and attended other colleges off and on, accumulating thousands of dollars in student loan debt. A friend told him about Morris Brown.
The college agreed to accept all of his previous college credits, and he was able to graduate in one semester.
“A lot of students here are returning adults. Life happened to us and we weren’t able to finish our degrees at traditional schools,” said Ford. “Morris Brown gave me the opportunity that no one else would.”
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