Walter Correll only needs to look as far as the slips of paper stuck on the door of his fridge for a daily dose of inspiration.
There’s a quote from Mickey Rooney at the age of 89: “If you say you can, you can.” One slip bears words meant to inspire academic success and physical fitness: “Totally disciplined, totally dedicated, totally committed.” Another reads: “Never look to the ground for your step. Greatness belongs to those who look to the horizon.”
Correll, age 83, takes every one of these words seriously. In fact, he credits their daily repetition as a key in his graduation this week from the Community College of Aurora.
“I’ve got these on my refrigerator door, and I look at these every day, every week … My philosophy is that if a person puts their mind to it, you can always improve yourself,” Correll said the day before he walked across the stage at the Arapahoe Fairgrounds to receive his certificate in computers and office administration. “Older people should go back to college … I remember all the hard work I did last year, all of the perseverance it took. I’m proud of myself.”
It’s not the first challenge Correll has successfully faced in his 83 years. He’s a veteran of the Korean War, the father of two grown children and the grandfather of two high school students living in California. He’s a former professional photographer, sales representative and security guard.
Still, he sees his time at CCA, his spotless academic record and his hard-won certification as a new high point on his resumé. The achievement came with plenty of work – Correll attended classes every week, haunted the school’s computer lab on his off days and worked one-on-one with his instructors.
“When I started my computer classes, I started with the top level. I jumped into the comprehensive classes,” Correll said, adding that he completed computer keyboarding, Windows 7, Excel, Power Point, Word and other classes. “They were hard … They went into real close detail. But I just wanted to better myself.”
That same philosophy drives Correll to work out in the gym on a weekly basis; it’s been the driver in getting him to establish plans for his life after school.
“This is up there. I’d say being a father would be number one, college would be number two and my time in military on the U.S.S. Boxer aircraft carrier is number three,” Correll said. “Now, I would love to try to get a job with CCA,” he added, explaining that a post in the school’s administrative offices would be ideal.
Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com or 720-449-9707