Page 83 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2024 - Online Magazine

EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS
joined me a few months later. We overcame many
financial challenges, and I did a lot of odd jobs. (I was
a newspaper carrier for ten years.) In 1995, I started a
small business—Sam and Co. Trees and Landscape to
help pay the bills.
TTU gave me credit for work already done in
Cameroon. I started with Complex Organic Chemistry
and other upper-level courses. By December 1988,
I had my bachelor’s degree, and a master's degree
followed in December 1989. I could have headed back
to Cameroon as my leave of absence was up, but the
political landscape had changed a lot, and I didn’t
want to work for the Cameroon government again.
(Salaries had been slashed by 70 percent, the currency
devaluated by 50 percent, and I would earn less with
a master's degree than I had earned with an associate
degree.)
I was admitted into the doctoral program
in Agronomy and continued to hustle odd
jobs. I also had to focus my research on seed
physiology rather than field research which is
expensive because it entails a lot of personnel.
And besides, Texas Tech had a great seed lab
and a good greenhouse for my research.
I passed the final comprehensive exam in the
spring of 1994. It was a great relief. By then,
I was the father of two young girls. Within
a week of passing my final comprehensive
exams in plant and soil science, I received a letter of
congratulations from the graduate school. My status
was changed from a PhD student to a PhD candidate.
I was given up to four years to defend my dissertation,
and my student visa was extended for another four
years.
That gave me time to pursue another doctorate. I
was interested in agriculture program planning and
extension education, so I enrolled in the College
of Human Sciences—specifically, Family and
Consumer Sciences Education. At this point, I want
to acknowledge my wonderful professors, the late
Dr. Ginny Felstenhousen, Dr. Ruth Martin, and Dr.
Sue Couche, as well as Dr David Lawver and the late
Dr. Paul Vaughn who served on my committee. In
1998, I successfully defended my dissertation and was
awarded a second PhD. By then, I was a father of three
as we had welcomed a son in 1996.
On the eve of my defense, we learned that we won the
American (Green Card) Lottery which eventually gave
us a citizenship status. (Ed. Note: The Immigration Act of
1990 selected 55,000 immigrants annually from 11 million
applicants.) I have been able to pursue a career path in
Plant Science and in "people science." Today, I apply
both backgrounds in the business I started almost 30
years ago when I was a student. It has yielded much
fruit, including the prestigious Arborist of the Year
award in 2023.
There is so much more to this story but, someday, God
willing, my autobiography will give the full account of
my journey of faith.
Lubbock Senior Link 83