At long last, 80-year-old to realize dream of high school diploma

NEWARK – James Burrell will never again have to worry about his response when asked what year he graduated from high school. The 80-year-old's answer will be: 2018.

If not for a difficult second year of Spanish and a misinformed guidance counselor, Burrell would have graduated with his Newark High School class of 1956.

Instead, the former Newark Fire Department assistant chief will get his high school diploma 62 years later, now that he has completed courses in math, grammar, locating information and welding at Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County.

He will be part of the class of 2018, after he turns 81, along with his 18-year-old great grand-daughter, Kayleah Allen, who graduates from Newark High School. Burrell will graduate June 5 at C-TEC.

"Last summer, my great granddaughter gave up a summer job to go to summer school," Burrell said. "She wanted to get back with her class. And, I thought, maybe I ought to try and get my diploma."

A couple weeks ago, Burrell got the word that he earned his state certification for welding, completing his graduation qualifications.

"I felt really relieved. I'm going to get my diploma, something I always wanted," Burrell said.

He wanted to walk with his great grand-daughter at the Newark High School commencement, but will not be permitted because he took adult education classes, not high school classes. And, his diploma will be from the state, not NHS.

Newark School District spokesman Seth Roy said the district is following their policy on adult education graduates.

"We get somewhat similar requests on a year-to-year basis and never allowed it before," Roy said. "Certainly, we support anybody getting their high school diploma.

"We're sticking with how we've done it. We recognize it's a great story. The focus is on the students graduating from NHS this year."

Class of 1956

Burrell was on track to graduate from Newark High School in 1956, but struggled with his second year of Spanish in his senior year. His counselor advised him to drop Spanish and take typing.

He took the advice, but the counselor later explained the unintended consequences.

"He said you have to have two years of Spanish to get credit for either one," Burrell said. "I said, well, you didn't tell me that. And, he said, I just found out. It's probably my fault for not doing better in Spanish in the first place."

So, instead of finishing with 0.25 of a credit more than he needed, Burrell ended up 0.75 of a credit short of graduating.

As years went by, Burrell had no trouble getting jobs, but still wanted the diploma.

“Later on, it got to bother me more and more," he said. "People would ask me when I graduated, and I said I was in the class of ’56."

Burrell found employment at American Electric Power and then the Newark Fire Department. If employers asked how many years of school he completed, he'd answer 12 years, because he never dropped out and felt he completed his 12th year.

“All the jobs I had, it didn’t make any difference," Burrell said. "I don’t think that was asked that much, but it still bothered me.”

Arriving at C-TEC

When Burrell went to C-TEC last year, he took a test. The result would have satisfied many adults students.

“They said I qualified for a GED, and I said I don’t want a GED," Burrell said. "I want a diploma."

So, he went to morning and evening classes, starting in October. After completing those classes, he took another test, and qualified for the Adult Diploma Program. He would enter one of the following programs: Information technology, administrative assistant, nursing, HVAC, or welding.

He chose welding, and started attending welding classes in January. When he received his welding certification in April, he qualified for the long-awaited diploma.

"He’s such a great success story," said Lauren Massie, director of adult education at C-TEC. "He’s really kind of been a motivation to all the students here, to see someone at his age. This has just been a dream for him.”

“I think we all cried when we found out he qualified, because he wanted it so badly. This is why we do what we do.”

Continuing education

It's ironic the lack of a diploma made it appear Burrell lacked education, because he embraced continuing his education throughout his life, whether at the fire department, becoming an electrician, or doing mission work for 25 years after leaving the fire department.

The mission work took Burrell to the Phillipines, Haiti, Honduras and several states in the U.S.

He took classes at the National Fire Academy in Maryland, and learned math and chemistry in hazardous materials class.

Burrell occasionally stops by the fire house in downtown Newark to talk with today's firefighters, including Chief Pat Connor.

"Retirees are always welcome in the fire house," Connor said. "The fire service has a lot of stories, and it's nice to hear firefighters tell stories about how it used to be."

Burrell started the fire prevention bureau in Newark in 1969 and the HazMat bureau in 1983. He was assistant chief for 11 years, from 1977 to 1988, when he retired from the department.

Burrell said two of the largest fires during his tenure were at Owens Corning and the old Pure Oil Company in Heath.

A 1979 rescue of workers from an underground tank at Owens Corning earned him the Ohio Fire Service Valor Award, presented by Gov. James Rhodes, in 1980.

Burrell and Tom Jones entered a 2-foot-hole into the Owens Corning tank without putting on any breathing apparatus, due to the narrow opening. They put their apparatus on after they reached the two men overcome by vapors.

“I felt safe because I knew what to do," Burrell said. “I held my breath and I was always pretty good at that. I learned over the years how to put the breathing apparatus on properly. I could have asked anyone else to do it, but I didn’t. We tied ropes on them and lifted them out."

One of the Owens Corning workers died, but the other one survived after Burrell performed resuscitation on him, Burrell said.

Burrell's 1988 retirement did not end his employment, as he worked 25 years doing church mission work. Now, he remains a state-licensed electrician, occasionally doing work locally.

What will he do after he receives his long-awaited high school diploma?

“I’m thinking about retiring, completely, this year," he said.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8545

Twitter: @kmallett1958