Lorenzo Tuero, freshman communication major and a veteran of the U.S. Marines, decided to start at Emporia State at the age of 59. Being a nontraditional transfer student offers many different obstacles, challenges and opportunities, according to Tuero.
“Next April I’ll be 60 years old,” Tuero said. “I don’t want to say it’s been traumatic…I think it’s been actually challenging and a lot of fun.”
Being a nontraditional student, Tuero offers insight to a different way of seeking and using education. Tuero runs a radio show out of the UK, at www.wfrm.co.uk where he talks about suicide prevention, local nonprofits and local musicians. He says that this is one reason he is working for a BA in communication.
“I am an advocate for suicide prevention, that’s what I’m talking about on my show,” Tuero said. “I feel like I have a responsibility to pay it forward.”
Coming from a family with nine other siblings, going to college at the traditional age didn’t seem to be an option. Instead he joined the Marines and worked to help his mother care for their family.
However, he recently found out he was still eligible to get veterans assistance to pay for college after so many years.
Joanne Tuero, Lorenzo’s sister who has a Masters in Nursing, said that circumstances are what kept him from college for so long.
“I’m really proud of him,” Joanne Tuero said.
Despite living in Utah at the time, he decided to attend ESU. His choice was partly made on cost, as well as the fact that his wife was coming from Emporia and has relatives living in the area.
“My wife said, after twenty years of marriage, ‘I wanna go home,’” Tuero said, “I thought this was a good time.”
A church member and friend of Tuero from Emporia, Althea Bedolla, said that seeing Tuero go back to college was an inspiration.
He has specific goals he plans to accomplish once he completes his college career.
“(I want) to wind up, hopefully at some type of VA hospital or some place where I can help my fellow veterans, like they’re helping me now,” Tuero said.