KENNESAW — The booming ovation Paul Wiser received as he crossed the stage in Kennesaw State University’s Convocation Center Wednesday morning shows his commitment is an inspiration to many.
Wiser, 81, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in interdisciplinary studies from KSU’s Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences Wednesday, nearly 40 years after he first began his education at the university.
He was KSU’s oldest spring 2023 graduate and achieved a 3.72 GPA. Wiser was also one of 60 veterans who graduated this spring, having served in the Army from 1959-1962.
Wiser is considered a non-traditional student, or a student who has been out of high school at least five years. According to the state university system, there were 2,872 non-traditional students at KSU this spring.
Wiser returned to KSU after initially enrolling in 1985, when it was still Kennesaw College, to study business. He had a long, successful career in the hospitality and financial sectors, serving in numerous banks and credit unions and as a financial planner, but did not complete his college coursework until now.
Once he retired, he decided to finish what he started at KSU and become the first in his family to earn a college degree. More importantly, he wanted the credential to be able to move forward in his efforts to end veteran homelessness.
‘This is not about me’
Initially intending to study business, Wiser shifted his focus to criminal justice, with a minor in leadership.
Wiser prides himself on wanting to fix things, so it makes sense his senior seminar research project, “Local Community Initiatives Can End Veteran Homelessness,” came about after he identified the problem.
“The Atlanta homeless population for veterans is the second largest in the nation,” he said.
He realized the federal government had too much on its plate to tackle veteran…
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