NATCHITOCHES – Donald Smith of Opelousas will collect a diploma from Northwestern State University on May 9, a goal in the making since 1971. Smith, 70, will receive a Bachelor of General Studies during afternoon commencement, a bucket list item that involved learning to navigate online classes while balancing family responsibilities.
Smith graduated from Natchitoches Central High School and enrolled at NSU in 1971 with plans to earn a degree in physical education.
“I left NSU in 1975, my senior year, to take a very good job with a major oil company. It was an opportunity to help my family immediately with plans to return to school later.” He then joined the military and afterwards worked on the private sector.
Last fall, he contacted Elizabeth Pursell, an advisor in NSU’s Academic Success Center, to discuss completing a degree. An audit of coursework and military service revealed that Smith was only four classes shy of a general studies degree.
“After encouragement from my wife and family and many prayers, I decided to return to NSU,” Smith said. “I thought about the many people, like my late mother, who encouraged me to complete my degree at Northwestern. Some of my greatest memories were made at NSU, where I met lifelong friends and became a charter member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.”
During 25 years of service in the U.S. Army Reserves, Smith served three overseas tours of duty. He later retired as a technical supervisor and safety coordinator for ExxonMobil Chemical. He had planned to transfer credits to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, where he was living and working at the time, with the intention of completing his degree in education but due to his career, he graduated in industrial technology.
“It wasn’t until after my retirement that I decided to give it another try and attempt to graduate from NSU. So, I added it to my bucket list.
“The most challenging part of returning to school was my doubts about being 70 years old and balancing my family caregiver responsibilities with my study requirements. I also had to face the challenge of online classes, which did not exist in the 1970s.”
“He was a little nervous about how successful he was going to be, but after several phone and email conversations, his confidence was higher, and he was ready to begin,” Pursell said.
“It was a pleasant surprise to be able to communicate effectively with my classmates and instructors through the online platform,” Smith said.
“Donald has been one of my favorite people to work with,” Pursell said. “He’s just so honest and open about what he’s thinking and what he wants to do. Even with all he’s got going on in his life, he’s always so positive and just generally an interesting person to talk with. I am so happy for him and all he is accomplishing this semester. I would work with a million students like Mr. Donald.”
“My wife Patricia and I both retired from the military, which allowed us to travel to many places and meet many interesting people. I have an identical twin brother and three sisters who are my biggest cheerleaders. I dedicate this accomplishment to my late mother, Bernice Smith.”
NSU will hold commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 8 and at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 9 in Prather Coliseum. The ceremonies will also be streamed online. Details and answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available at www.nsula.edu/graduation.
