Dreams finally come true for Trident Tech graduates

Chris Fraser had a prosperous life.

He had a family, was a successful commercial real estate broker, co-founder of a company and an active member of the community.

But he didn't have a college degree, and that gnawed at him over the years.

That changed Friday when he graduated from Trident Technical College with an associate degree in culinary arts.

Fraser was one of 1,371 students who completed associate degrees, diplomas or certificates this spring. More than 500 of them participated in the school's commencement ceremony Friday at the North Charleston Coliseum where Tom Stubbins, vice president of human resources for Vought Aircraft Industries, gave the commencement address.

Fraser, 48, said that his family couldn't afford to send to him to college when he graduated from high school in 1977. "It just wasn't an option," he said.

So he joined the Navy.

When he completed his military service, he started working in real estate. He eventually co-founded Grubb & Ellis/Barkley Fraser, a commercial real estate firm. He never had the time to return to school, he said.

But a few years ago, he decided it was time to do something new.

He loved to cook, wanted to reignite his creative side and wanted a degree. Trident's culinary program, he said, was a perfect fit.

The technical college serves many different types of students who have a variety of goals.

Fraser said he wanted a degree to enhance his life. "I'm not going to give up my day job," he said.

But Stephanie Legette, 34, the student selected to speak at the ceremony, enrolled at Trident to eventually land a well-paying, satisfying job so she could better support her young daughter.

Legette, a former worker in the food and beverage industry, said that while job-hunting soon after daughter was born, a potential employer said, "I'll pay you $7 per hour." She said she realized she simply couldn't survive on that, so she had to do something different with her life. She plans to continue her studies at the College of Charleston. She will major in history, she said, and hopes to eventually teach high school students.

"You have to have a degree to do anything," she said.

She was 31 years old when she returned to school, and had to work hard to revive her basic academic skills, especially in math, she said. She had to take three developmental math courses before she was ready for college-level work, she said.

When she first thought about going back to school, she said, "I was terrified."

But she graduated with a 3.85 grade-point average.

It was tough at times, trying to get through school being a single parent. But, she said, "everybody (at Trident) really, really cares that you're doing well. It's like a family," she said.

Fraser said Trident staffers helped him to work around his busy work and family schedules to earn a degree. Trident, he said, is "one of the least-known, least-appreciated resources we have. They make it easy to go back to school."

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.