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Trunnell, Grubbs-Coleman and Young
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(JACKSON, Miss.) - When Florastine Grubbs-Coleman decided to return to college at Jackson State University in her 50s, some doubted the single mother would succeed.
"So many people said, 'You can't do it,'" said Grubbs-Coleman, who worked for 20 years as a hospital clerk. "You're too old."
But through a combination of determination, faith and the friendship of two women who joined her on her journey, Grubbs-Coleman and friends Patricia Trunnell and Earnestine Young earned their bachelor's degrees in 2008. Now they are slated to receive their master's in social work during Jackson State's graduate commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, May 8, at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center on the JSU campus, 1400 John R. Lynch St. in Jackson.
Grubbs-Coleman, 59, Trunnell, 56, and Earnestine Young, 55, say their degrees will help launch their careers as professional social workers and their dream of starting a nonprofit organization to serve people around their hometown of Magee, Miss.
"In the rural community there is nothing," Grubbs-Coleman said. "The children are just running around."
Trunnell, who used to work as a nurse's aide, said though she's just starting her social work career, the work isn't new.
"I've been doing this all along," said the eldest of eight children who grew up caring for two siblings with sickle cell anemia. "I've always helped people."
Like her friends, Trunnell decided to go back to school after she put her children through college.
The women all admitted they were afraid to return to the classroom, but said their bond helped them persevere through more than six years of school. They encouraged each other through every research paper, class presentation and final exam, and held each other up during such personal trials as the death of three parents, a seriously injured son and a Hurricane Katrina-destroyed home.
The friends took all of their classes together and carpooled to school - singing gospel songs to pass time during the 45-mile drive. When they arrived at Jackson State after a full day's work, they'd pray for a parking space so as not to be late for class.
"We'd say, 'Lord, we just need one,' " said Young, a Certified Nursing Assistant who is the first woman among her 10 siblings to graduate from college.
Jackson State University social work professor Jean Brooks said the three women are not just great friends, but great students.
"They're all excellent students," said Brooks, coordinator of the Bachelor of Social Work program. "They've accomplished a whole lot through their support of each other."
The three friends hope their journey will help others find the courage to take the first steps toward continuing their education.
"We just kept staying, 'We're going to do it,'" Grubbs-Coleman said. "It's like walking through a fog. You can't see, but you lower your speed and keep going."
- JSU -
Photo: Patricia Trunnell (left), Florastine Grubbs-Coleman and Earnestine Young visit the Jackson State University campus after finishing all their coursework toward a master's in social work.
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About Jackson State University: Challenging Minds, Changing Lives
Jackson State University, founded in 1877, is a historically black, high research activity university located in Jackson, the capital city of the state of Mississippi. Jackson State's nurturing academic environment challenges individuals to change lives through teaching, research and service. Officially designated as Mississippi's Urban University, Jackson State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, health-care, technological and educational initiatives. The only university in the Jackson metropolitan area, Jackson State is located near downtown, with three satellite campuses throughout the city. For more information, visit www.jsums.edu.
