High Point University Senior’s Caregiver Receives Honorary Degree

Senior Collin Smith embodies a principle that Dr. Nido Qubein, HPU president, teaches in his freshman seminar: Your present circumstances don’t determine where you’ll go. They merely determine where you start.

Collin was a three-sport athlete in high school before a tragic car accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. It was the type of accident that can put an end to a teenager’s formal education.

“Only 5 percent of teens go back to school after an accident like that,” says Smith. “Only 1 percent go onto college, and less than that graduate.”

Despite the incredible hardship he endured, Collin’s desire to receive an education didn’t change. He toured several campuses but found the perfect environment at High Point University.

http://www.highpoint.edu/blog/2013/04/senior-overcomes-immense-challenges-to-graduate-from-hpu/