As a stellar student with an athletic scholarship to Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn., James Perdue had hopes of becoming a baseball star.

A fateful twist for his young future came about when he was badly injured during a pick-up game of football at the age of 19. Perdue’s neck was broken and he became a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair.

Yet that didn’t stop him in his educational pursuit. He went on to earn an associate’s degree from Volunteer State Community College and  both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Middle Tennessee State University.

Still yearning for more knowledge, Perdue was encouraged by a friend to consider choosing Tennessee State University as his final destination for a terminal degree. “My friend Bruce Battles graduated from TSU and talked me into enrolling. I was uncertain how people would accept my disability at first, but then I saw how accommodating the campus community was,” Perdue said. “My instructors, especially Dr. Mary Ann Pangle,  went the extra mile to assist me, and students would push me up the hill to class or help me out of the car.”

Now, in completion of TSU’s doctoral program in the College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning, Perdue will cross the stage on Saturday with a four-legged friend to assist him. His companion dog Ricardo has traveled to campus alongside him for the past nine months to help with daily tasks.

“I know most people would be surprised to see a dog on campus and even at graduation but having him around breaks the stigma that people sometimes have about someone with a disability, not to mention he provides so much help for me,” Perdue said.

After graduation, Perdue hopes to become a motivational speaker sharing his story of overcoming obstacles and persevering through tragedy to pursue lifelong goals. “I have a story to tell and I think people will be inspired by knowing my journey,” he said.

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