Alumnus defines perseverance

Mississippi highway patrol officer Marvin Henderson, a recent graduate in homeland security studies from the Tulane School of Continuing Studies, has received the Continuing Education Student Award for the South Region from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association.

“He is a wonderful example of our students in continuing education and their perseverance,” says Karen Lucas, assistant dean of the university's Mississippi campuses.

In 2009, Henderson began working toward his bachelor's degree at the Tulane School of Continuing Studies Mississippi Coast Campus. But in September 2010, with only nine hours remaining to complete his degree, Henderson was involved in a motorcycle accident in Pascagoula, Miss. His leg and foot were crushed when he was thrown from his motorcycle.

Henderson hoped to remain enrolled on the coastal campus, but the multiple operations he required made that difficult. After being transferred to Jackson, Miss., for his continued treatment, he began an extensive program at the University of Mississippi Rehabilitation Hospital and enrolled at the Tulane campus in Madison, Miss.

Henderson elected to have his leg amputated below the knee this August. On Aug. 31, 2011, he earned his bachelor's degree.

He said that throughout his ordeal he drew strength by remembering his mother's battle with illness. She died from lupus when he was 15.

“My mother was my inspiration,” said Henderson. “If my mother could undergo dialysis and work every day, this was nothing compared to what she did. I looked at how she pushed through.”

When asked his ultimate goal for the future, Henderson says, “Can I have more than one? My first one would be to run a 15–minute, two-mile run. My second is to train Mississippi highway patrol cadets. This would be a great opportunity for me to get better on my leg, and lead by example.”

Ashley Bates is a freelance consultant in Madison, Miss.