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'Grand' grads set to walk together during commencement |
| By
Deanna Woolf |
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May 1, 2006 |
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It all goes back to Marie Johnson-Ham.
"She said, 'I've got a master's, your kids have degrees — when are you going to get one?'" recalled husband James Ham, custodial supervisor in the Student Union. His wife, an academic adviser with University College, wanted him to do something for himself and advance his career.
"I'm too old," Ham said he told her. But in 2000, he enrolled in the individualized study program for a bachelor's degree in business management and communications.
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| Ham and Brown |
Then there was granddaughter Charlana Brown. "I had always wanted to work with juveniles in counseling," she said.
Once she graduated from high school, Johnson-Ham made sure her granddaughter wasted no time in getting to college. Brown enrolled at UT in summer 2002 for a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and her grandmother served as an "unofficial" adviser for classes.
"If you and I soar like eagles," Ham said to his granddaughter, "she's the wind beneath our wings."
"She's our backbone," Brown agreed.
Marie, this one's for you — Brown and Ham are graduating on Saturday, May 6.
Ham said he took extra classes to be able to walk with his granddaughter in May — even though he officially graduates during the summer. "It was our goal. We sat down and talked about it. I said I'm going to do this," Ham said.
It's the latest way grandfather and granddaughter have supported each other through their education. For example, Brown provided fashion consultation for this nontraditional student. "She's my dress coordinator," Ham explained with a laugh. "She tells me, 'You can't wear this. It looks too old.' Or 'You can't wear this. It looks too young.'"
Brown also kept him awake during a biology class they took together. "The class was at 7:30 in the morning, and he'd just get off work at 7," she said. Ham didn't deny his snoring through the sessions. "She'd tell me, 'Wake up!'" he recalled.
"He was my backup," Brown added. "When I missed the class, he would share notes and tell me what went on. He went to every class" despite his long hours on the job.
After graduation, Ham said he plans to continue working at UT and will take at least one year off of school to see what he wants to do.
Brown wants to find a job working with juveniles. "I plan to move out of the state," she said.
But for now, they'll be together, celebrating their accomplishments, along with Marie.
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