Never too late: WMU dad surprises family by finishing degree

“I’m still soaking it in, really,” says Tate. “Seeing their reactions and knowing my kids and family know I finished is what makes me proudest.” 

For the past year and a half, Tate has been quietly completing the credits he needed to earn his bachelor’s degree while still managing a full-time job and the busy sports schedules of his daughters, ranging from middle school to first-year student at Western. 

While some of the people closest to him knew he’d enrolled in classes, none knew how seriously he was working to complete his degree—including his wife, who nearly discovered the surprise recently while scouring their room for her knitting needles. 

“I put the bag with my graduation cords and my Merze Tate College coin and everything under the bed,” says Tate. “She pulled out the bag and I said, ‘What are you doing? Those are Christmas presents!’” 

When he finally let the cat out of the bag, he says his family was blown away. 

“They were shocked!” he says. “I just want them to be proud and my girls to know they can do anything that they want.” 

Determined to succeed 

Tate’s understated approach to finishing his degree was as much about self-preservation as it was about the shock factor. 

“I’ve been really nonchalant about it,” he says. “I had a lot of anxiety about it; I don’t know why. Probably because I’ve been down this road before and it just didn’t work out.” 

Tate, who grew up in Sturgis, initially enrolled in classes at Glen Oaks Community College after he graduated high school in 1998. At the time, he was considering a career in special education. But a year in, after moving to Kalamazoo with some friends and transferring to Kalamazoo Valley Community College, he lost his way. 

“If I had my transcript from Valley, it would be unreal. I know I took ‘The History of Michigan’' class three times!” he says. “School just wasn’t a priority for me at the time, and I did a lot of partying.” 

So, he dropped out and went to work. He thought about going back one day to finish his degree but lacked urgency.  

“I was working a decent job at Coca-Cola that allowed me to have the experiences I wanted. I’m an outdoors guy. ... You don’t need much.” 

In 2014, now a father, Tate decided to give college another go. He enrolled at Western, this time thinking about studying behavioral psychology. But challenges popped up, life happened and he dropped classes almost as quickly as he enrolled. 

“I feel bad because my academic advisor at the time probably dreaded my calls,” he laughs. 

Then, in 2024, he made a decision: It was time. He was a formulation specialist at Zoetis, and the company’s tuition reimbursement program would fully cover the cost of his education. Plus, with three teenage daughters, he knew he was running out of time to set an example. 

“I can’t tell them to finish college without me finishing school,” he says. “I’ve learned, for the most part, kids are going to follow in their parents’ footsteps. My dad and my uncles were machinists, and they encouraged me to finish school instead of getting a job and being on my feet all day.” 

Following a game plan 

Tate enrolled at Western in fall 2024 and set up a meeting with Jessica Parker, director of academic advising in university studies. She helped him set up an ambitious plan that would allow him to complete the 35 credits he needed to finish his degree—all by the end of 2025. 

“I told her, ‘Just load it up. If I can be done in a year, let’s do it,’” says Tate, who was working third shift at the time. “I made sure to make a game plan, and I’ve stuck to my game plan.” 

He’s carried his notes from that first meeting with Parker in his wallet ever since as a physical reminder to keep his eyes on the prize. And it worked. Despite being the same age as most of his classmates’ parents, Tate cleared his classes with flying colors—managing an A average through a variety of classes ranging from philosophy and religion to geoscience and addiction studies. 

“I walked into business class and knew I was out of place quick. Obviously because of my age, but also, I was the only one with a book,” he laughs. “Yeah, it was a big culture shock! But my professors all embraced it and told me, ‘You’ve got this, and we’ll make sure you finish.’” 

Having a full-time job, being a full-time dad and completing a full course load each semester didn’t leave much time for the college experience outside the classroom. Tate spent plenty of late nights and even car rides to events and sports competitions doing homework, but he still enjoyed as much as he could, including Family Weekend with his daughter, a first-year student in Western’s aviation program, and countless Bronco athletic events. 

“I’ve tried to immerse myself in the college atmosphere as much as I could, especially this year with football and hockey.” 

In fact, Tate took his family to Detroit to watch Western win the MAC championship at Ford Field Dec. 6 before driving back to campus and heading to Lawson Ice Arena to watch the hockey Broncos hit the ice—all in the same day! 

“I wear my Western gear with pride knowing that I participated and finished,” he says. “I’m a Bronco. It’s 100% a good feeling.” 

Now that he’s put a bow on his undergraduate education, Tate is already thinking about his next challenge. Maybe he’ll pursue a master’s degree or a private pilot’s license. Whatever he decides, he feels confident he’s built a solid foundation by completing his degree. And he hopes his journey offers some inspiration—both for friends and coworkers on the fence about finishing their degrees and for his own family. 

“It should help me open some doors,” says Tate. “Hopefully this leads to something bigger and better, and my kids can see the reward from it.” 

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