I hope to die at UCA. I LOVE UCA! I mean, this is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me.”
Richard mcfadden
“I hope to die still enrolled at UCA. I LOVE UCA!”
These are the sentiments of Mr. Richard McFadden, a student at the University of Central Arkansas. What would possess someone to say that, especially when so many students count down and dream of the day that they matriculate through college and walk across the stage to receive their diploma?
Well Richard is not like most students. According to the EducationData.org, the average age for students enrolled full-time in undergraduate programs is 21.8 years old; the average age of part-time students is 27.2 years.
Mr. Richard is a 78-year old college student. He proclaims that his major is Personal Happiness and attending the University brings him joy.
But did Richard actually have a love for school? Absolutely not, on the contrary, Richard admits that he never liked school at all.
“When I was a kid, I had the good fortune to do really good in school, as long as there was no homework. But essentially, I am not self disciplined. Consequently, when it was a beautiful day outside, I would not be in the building. I’d be outside. I had the best of intentions. I really thought I’d get my homework done, but it never happened.
In the 8th grade, his teacher nicknamed him “Cant Find” due to him repeatedly not being able to find his homework anytime she asked for it. In fact, he was in fear of failing the 8th grade, but got the highest grade on the final exam and was able to get by with a D. This cycle continued until he got to college.
“I used to have a recurring dream that I would enroll in college but always fail because I didn’t do my homework. So in 2013, I was a member of Couch Surfers. If you were going to a city, you would post that you needed a place to stay for the night or so. A young lady from Taiwan needed a place to stay and he and wife took her in until the UCA dorms opened in two days. They soon found out that the dorms would not indeed open for almost two weeks and Zoe ended up staying with them for ten days instead of two.
“By the end of the ten days, she became our granddaughter. She has had a big impact on my life. Two years later, I had gotten to the point that I loved the Buffalo River. I loved canoeing and canoe camping. I loved it so much that I got to the point that if I could no longer go to the Buffalo, that was it, I was ready to die. In 2015, Zoe suggested that I come to UCA, but you know I had the recurring dream of enrolling and failing.”
Nudged by Zoe, he remembered a friend who a professor and voiced his concerns to her. As luck would have it, she let him know that he had the option to audit, which meant he didn’t have to do homework or take tests for credit.
“That was a perfect situation AND college was free. It was all pluses with none of the minuses, so I started here and it was more than I ever anticipated and it continues to be more than I ever anticipated. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t tell Greg or anyone else I LOVE UCA! I mean, this is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me.”
Greg Hall, one of the courtesy cart drivers from UCA had this to say about Richard: When I first met him, it took me a while to get used to him,” he laughed. “But two or three weeks later, he told me: I LOVE UCA! I’m glad to hear that. Guess what? I do too for the same reasons: Beautiful people, beautiful campus, a lot of good teachers. They’re not all perfect but we understand that. His attitude is good.”
Greg and Richard have bonded over their love of dogs. Greg’s dog, Tiger is a male Karen Terrier that Richard insists is spoiled rotten. Butch, Richard’s female mongrel “is truly lovable and is NOT spoiled.” Inspired by the dogs that he saw on campus, Richard adopted Butch and Greg adopted Tiger. They are dogs that only he and Greg can see. In their free time, they get a kick out of asking people if they see can them and laughing at “freaking people out”.
An ironic pair we make. While I have been counting down the days until graduation since I was readmitted to UCA, Mr. Richard is bummed out. “I think its horrible that you’re leaving, but I’ve got your number!”
Meeting Mr. Richard has been life changing. We have spoken weekly since we met. He has shown me things. He talked me into meeting him at the Ropes Course behind the HPER Center and the Physical Plant. Because of Mr. Richard, I can say that I rock climbed. I only made it halfway up the wall, but Londyn made it up and down (twice). He sent me this picture. Its so impactful because he told me that canoeing on the Buffalo River was something that he loved so much, that when he could no longer do it because of an injury, he thought it was over. He told me to always try. He is adamant that I face my fear of swimming.
Because of him, I will face that fear.
thefitmediamama.com 