Although Keith started his college education in the traditional manner, right after high school, various circumstances put his college plans on hold. Keith attended Manatee Junior College in Bradenton, Fla., but freely admits that college was not a high priority for him at the time. He left Manatee after two quarters and joined the Air Force.
Upon his honorable discharge from the Air Force after nearly four years of service, Keith attended ABAC and graduated in 1974 with a degree in business. He then began working at Belk's in a career path that took him to Thomasville for 12 years and then back to Tifton in 1986.
Keith said one of the goals he always wanted to achieve was his bachelor's degree, but since he was working full-time and had a wife and three children, he didn't believe he had the time to pursue that goal. Upon learning that a fellow employee was attending a satellite program at ABAC sponsored by Georgia Southwestern College, Keith decided to learn more about the program. He eventually enrolled and began taking classes.
"I can still remember walking into that classroom for the first time after being out of school for 20 years," Keith said. "Much to my surprise, I was not the only person of my age there. I attended classes for two years and graduated with my bachelor's degree in business."
Keith said he was able to achieve his goal only because the bachelor's degree classes he needed were available at ABAC. He had to have the convenience of classes in Tifton. Commuting to Americus or Valdosta was not an option.
Angie Palmer, ABAC's Director of Evening and Off-Campus Programs, said Keith is not alone in his academic endeavors.
"The demands of a career and family often stand in the way of non-traditional students pursuing a higher education," Palmer said. "Factoring in a commute of 50 - 100 miles to reach a campus, makes attaining a degree almost impossible. Mr. Keith is a classic example of a student who would have had extreme difficulty completing a four-year degree if classes had not been available locally."
Palmer said Albany State and Valdosta State also offer classes at ABAC. A new program featuring a bachelor's degree in Information Technology from Macon State is tentatively scheduled to begin in January.
"ABAC is striving to develop additional relationships with area universities that will provide a broader range of options for students seeking programs beyond the associate's level," Palmer said.
Keith hopes there are more college classes in his future.
"I have set another goal for myself," Keith said. "Now I want to earn my MBA. This degree is available through a partnership between ABAC and Albany State on the ABAC campus. My plans are to start during the spring semester, and I am definitely ready."
Keith recently told his story in a presentation to the entire Board of Regents in Atlanta. During his speech, he asked for continued support for these degree programs.
"I hope you [the Board of Regents] will support and strengthen the partnerships between ABAC and other schools so that non-traditional students will continue to have opportunities to achieve their educational goals--not only at ABAC, but across the state," Keith said. "It worked for me, and I know it will work for others."
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