Joshua Woods never saw himself as college material.

After moving to Wichita from Texas in 2009, he was living with his sister, had few resources, little support and was, by his own admission, "mad at life," which never seemed to work in his favor.

Desperate for a job, he would walk along 21st Street filling out applications. That walk led him past the university, where day after day he would see Wichita State University students with backpacks and smiles, walking to cars he couldn’t afford and talking with friends he didn’t have.

“I looked at how empty my life was,” Woods said. “These students looked like they had it all together, even if they didn’t. They knew what they wanted out of life.”

It was jealousy of these students that inspired Woods to make an incredible leap of faith. Woods walked into WSU’s Jardine Hall and handed over the last $30 he had to the woman at the application desk.

He was sure nothing would come of it, and he patiently awaited the letter telling him the money had gone to waste.

Weeks later, he ran into his sister’s room with a letter and an incredulous look of surprise.

“I was astonished,” Woods said. “I was so happy, I couldn’t stop saying ‘Can you believe it? I got in!’”

Finding his way

When Woods, then 27, met with his advisor, he was convinced there was going to be a phone call any minute to inform him there had been a misunderstanding; he couldn’t actually enroll in classes. When his advisor told him he could get his student ID card, he said, “You’re sure? This is official?”

But it was no joke. Woods enrolled in classes, received his student ID and began courses toward a degree in social work.

Six years and a change of majors later, Woods is preparing to graduate this semester with a bachelor’s in communications. He reflects on the progress he has made since his first semester of classes in spring 2010.

“In the beginning, I don’t think I was prepared to receive the learning and encounter the challenges involved with learning all the things that I had to,” Woods said. “I felt like an outcast. I felt like I didn’t belong. It was a struggle to sit in the back of the classroom as a returning adult at 27 years old. I didn’t think I could do it.”

But Wichita State faculty members became his support system. He recalls teachers who helped him when he was struggling, extending office hours and going out of their way to make sure he succeeded. He remembers spending four hours one afternoon with his math professor because he was struggling to understand a topic. He was thankful for a professor who was understanding when he showed up to class a few minutes late because he had to jog five miles to campus twice a week from his job at SuperTarget.

“If not for those professors, I wouldn’t be graduating,” Woods said. “I’ve received help and I’ve received advice and mentorship from individuals who helped gear me toward where I am now. I feel like I’m really prepared to go into a career.”

When he moved to Wichita, Woods was jealous of WSU students. Now, he is one of them. He walks to his car with a smile, talking to classmates who have become his friends.

“There were a lot of tears in getting to this point -- knowing I have a future,” Woods said. “I kept saying to myself, ‘I’ve got to try.’ I can’t be one of those parents who tells their kids, ‘I tried but I gave up. It was too difficult.’ I want to be one of those parents who tells their kids, ‘I tried, and I kept trying despite all obstacles.’”