There was a time when Charles McGraw didn’t think he’d ever graduate college, but now that dream is well within reach.

McGraw made several attempts at a bachelor’s degree throughout his early 20s while holding jobs in the restaurant industry, sales and marketing. Each time, he’d ended up dropping out. He’d been out of school for four or five years when he made a realization.

“If I was going to go any higher than I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to do that without a degree,” McGraw said.

He was scrolling social media one day and saw a former co-worker’s post about the Missouri Fast Track Workforce Incentive grant, a program from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development that provides grants to assist with coursework tuition, general fees or direct costs.

“I was like, ‘Well, now I don't really have an excuse not to go back to school and finish my degree,’” McGraw said.

This time, it was different. He enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program with a renewed dedication to earn his degree.

“I'm not going to work this long for this and not try my best at it,” he said.

When he was younger, McGraw said, he was going to college because he felt it’s what he was supposed to do, but this time, he had a clear vision of what he wanted, which paid off both in his academic career and his confidence.

“Now I know what I want to do, and I'm focused and I'm here for me,” he said.

One course proved to be a particular hurdle for McGraw. He’d failed it before, but he wasn’t deterred. He dedicated time to attending three Supplemental Instruction sessions a week in addition to his class. SI is a UMKC-invented academic support program that provides optional additional instruction in difficult courses and has been used by universities around the globe.

The sessions allowed McGraw to revisit challenging topics and get support in a small setting rather than in a full class, where he wasn’t as comfortable asking questions. He ended up with an A in the course and made the dean’s list.

“If you ever have doubts about stuff that you think you can't do, you really can do it,” he said. “You just have to be willing to put in the effort and go the extra mile.”

Being a full-time student while working a full-time job has been challenging, but McGraw said it’s been worth it. “It keeps me busy and it keeps me on a schedule that I can maintain that helps me, I think, be successful in the long run,” he said. “You just have to make sure you get enough sleep, which is a big thing and it's definitely doable. You just have to prioritize.”

Now in his last year of college, McGraw is on track to earn his degree in Spring 2025. He plans to stay at his current job and knows that his degree will help him excel.

“It's just going to be a really big personal achievement because I didn't think I would ever actually graduate college,” he said. “I'm going to be happy to get it over with, but also very happy that I did it.”