“I started at the University of Memphis when I first came out of high school in 1969, but between a full time job, full time school, a girlfriend, and a hot rod, I didn’t do so well. I’ve always wanted to finish up, so after 43 years I decided to go back. It was definitely an experience. There’s not a real good road map on how to do it; it took a lot of trial and error for five months to find the right offices and do the right things. I had never used a Pell Grant before, but guess what: They gave me a Pell Grant, just like they do the kids. And I found that I was accepted by everyone, especially the students. They were really cool. I've worked alongside Rhodes College students, particularly the Bonner Scholars, for the past twelve years in their outreach to homeless people, so this age group wasn’t completely foreign to me. Every year there’s a certain few of these kids I get really close to. I’ve been to recitals, I’ve been to speaking engagements, I’ve showed up. And I’ve been rewarded by having some of the best young people in my life that you can possibly imagine. They all call me Ponytail Bob or P.T. Bob.
“So I was excited about going back to school. I don’t get nervous. I’ve been shot twice, stabbed four times, had a major heart attack and two heart surgeries, so no, I don’t get scared. I just jumped in. I changed my major to journalism because I’d already been published for a couple of years with The Bridge. All of my stories have something to do with homeless or outreach programs. My story about Hank the Hermit really shows you how not to judge a book by its cover. Then there’s a story about my mom, about her being my mentor. At my age, I can do journalism and dig deep, but I’m more of a storyteller. I’m still not done with my degree, but I finished one semester with a 3.5 GPA. Twelve hours, four classes. I’m proud of that. There are a lot of opportunities for adults out there."
“So I was excited about going back to school. I don’t get nervous. I’ve been shot twice, stabbed four times, had a major heart attack and two heart surgeries, so no, I don’t get scared. I just jumped in. I changed my major to journalism because I’d already been published for a couple of years with The Bridge. All of my stories have something to do with homeless or outreach programs. My story about Hank the Hermit really shows you how not to judge a book by its cover. Then there’s a story about my mom, about her being my mentor. At my age, I can do journalism and dig deep, but I’m more of a storyteller. I’m still not done with my degree, but I finished one semester with a 3.5 GPA. Twelve hours, four classes. I’m proud of that. There are a lot of opportunities for adults out there."
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