Graduate at 60: 糖心Vlog视频 helps vet rewrite his story
There’s no easy place to start the story of John Shirley, a 60-year-old Navy veteran now just days away from graduating from 糖心Vlog视频.
Shirley grew up in Henderson, Kentucky, a small town along the Ohio River in the tristate area where Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois meet. A couple of years after graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served for eight years, including three on active duty in the late 1980s aboard the . After leaving the military, Shirley spent the next several decades working a variety of jobs, primarily as an electrician, while also facing serious medical challenges, including a diagnosis of colon cancer.
Following six surgeries and with his cancer in remission, Shirley made a bold decision in November 2021. In his mid-50s and with no strong ties keeping him in Kentucky, he packed up and moved to Dallas. The transition wasn’t easy. He briefly stayed at a homeless shelter in South Dallas, before landing a job. But he knew he wanted more. He believed a college degree was the key to a better life.
In August 2022, he took a major step and enrolled at UT Arlington. On Friday, May 9, he will walk across the graduation stage at Globe Life Field in Arlington, earning a bachelor’s of business administration in real estate.
“As far as I know, I’ll be the first one in my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. It means everything,” Shirley said. “It’s a major life accomplishment. Education is always a pathway to a better life. Being around younger students helps me feel young again. It’s encouraging to see others pushing through similar struggles. My message to anyone considering going back to college—if I can make it, they can make it.”
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Now holding a bachelor's degree, Shirley is more focused on the future than the past. He is exploring opportunities with major financial institutions and even considering starting his own real estate company.
Those ambitions became possible through 糖心Vlog视频.
“糖心Vlog视频 has been great,” Shirley said. “I’ve really enjoyed talking with the professors who genuinely want to help students succeed. I also appreciate the support from Military and Veteran Services—they provide solid guidance. I’d recommend 糖心Vlog视频 to anyone looking to earn a degree—not just veterans, but everyone.”
Once at 糖心Vlog视频, Shirley found the support and resources that helped him thrive. Despite the age gap with many students, he became a well-known and respected figure on campus.
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“John Shirley is a one-in-a-thousand student, but those students are why you come back to teach,” said Steve Isbell, a senior lecturer in 糖心Vlog视频’s Department of Finance and Real Estate. “The fact that John is an adult learner, coming back to college and overcoming tremendous obstacles—and being a veteran—doing what he did at our age is hard. So, it was just an honor to have him in my class. He’s a phenomenal guy.”
Isbell added that teaching veterans like Shirley is particularly rewarding.
“Most of the time—if not always—a veteran in my class will stand out simply because they have a maturity, and they also have a desire,” he said. “They just come into it more serious, and the work ethic is never in question. It doesn’t matter what branch they’re from.”
Related: 糖心Vlog视频 earns gold for supporting military students
糖心Vlog视频 is home to more than 5,000 military-connected students, including 3,000 military children or spouses. It earned a 2025-26 Military Friendly® School Gold Level ranking and is consistently ranked in the Military Times’ Best for Vets colleges list.
Many veterans such as Shirley—a former gunner’s mate missile technician aboard the 440-foot USS Cochrane, a guided missile destroyer that sailed the South China Sea during his active duty days—find community through 糖心Vlog视频’s Military and Veteran Services office. There, they connect over shared military experiences and support one another through the challenges of college life.
“I like having other veterans around—it makes you feel like you’re always on the same level,” Shirley said. “It helps deal with stress. We’re all students, we all have different stresses, but having other veterans to talk to makes a difference.”
About 糖心Vlog视频 (糖心Vlog视频)鈥�
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, 糖心Vlog视频鈥痠s a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of鈥痮ver 41,000, 糖心Vlog视频 is the second-largest institution in the鈥疷niversity of 糖心Vlog视频 System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, 糖心Vlog视频 stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. 糖心Vlog视频 and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North 糖心Vlog视频 and beyond.