When Julie Voirol left graduation practice early Friday, the Three Rivers College alum was in a four-car accident that left the Poplar Bluff resident shaken but otherwise OK.
By the afternoon, the 51-year-old was laughing about the latest speed bump in the long journey to acquiring her associate’s degree in social work.
Voirol was among the Class of 2020 graduates who crossed the stage Friday at the Libla Family Sports Complex along with the Class of 2021.
After a year of disruptions, Dr. Wes Payne, college president, announced at the beginning of the ceremony that the evening’s mask requirement would be dropped under guidance from the county health department.
It brought cheers from a crowd that included Voirol’s husband, pastor and other loved ones.
Voirol overcame more than 15 years of drug addiction to put her life on the right track, and neither a fender-bender nor a worldwide pandemic were going to stop her from celebrating.
“I’m not who I used to be,” are the words she wrote on her graduation cap for that big moment, carrying with her the support of everyone who helped her achieve new dreams.
“When I first got in recovery, I got a sponsor that helped me get through Drug Court. I was trying to get my GED, and I tried like three times and failed,” she said.
It was that sponsor, Jennifer Smith, who helped Voirol make the decision to enroll at TRC. While Smith passed before she could see Voirol’s graduation, her memory continues to inspire the graduate.
Those who helped graduates achieve their dreams were among the people recognized by Payne during the ceremony.
“Graduates, we know your success has depended to some extent upon the encouragement and support of your family and your friends,” he said. “We especially want every parent, spouse, family member, and friend of our graduates to know how glad we are to have them here today.”
About 350 students graduated in the 2021 class. About 50 people from the 2020 class participated in Friday night’s event.
Payne also took time to recognize graduates like Tammy Fields.
After retiring from the U.S. Navy with 20 years of service, Fields returned “home” to Dexter to raise her son.
“She was given the opportunity to attend college, but as a single parent, was concerned about her financial responsibilities for her and her son,” he said. “Tammy worked to provide for her son until he completed school and began his own life.”
She then decided to join the behavioral health support program.
“There were several times she wanted to give up but relied on her military training to ‘Keep Pushing Forward,’” Payne said. “Deciding that she needed to dedicate herself to her course work, Tammy left her full-time job and concentrated on college.
“Times were rough and finances were tight, but she has a graduation date that she is proud of.”
Payne recognized all of the graduating class and members of the audience who have served in the armed forces.
“Three Rivers is very proud of Tammy and ALL our graduates in the armed forces,” he said. “You can recognize the veterans in our graduating class today by the red, white and blue cord they wear.”
Also honored were students who graduated summa cum laude with a GPA of 3.9 or higher, magna cum laude with a GPA of 3.70 to 3.89, or cum laude with a minimum overall GPA of 3.5 to 3.69 on a 4.0 scale.