When Sophia McCall stepped to the podium at Coker University’s Winter Commencement on Saturday, Dec. 13, she carried more than a speech in her hands. She brought nearly three decades of unfinished business, resilience, and resolve.

“I walked onto this campus straight out of high school, full of dreams but not focused on the right things,” McCall told the Class of 2025. “Life took me in a different direction, and I left school. I never thought I’d come back.”

McCall, now a bachelor’s graduate and recruiter for a nonprofit organization in Orlando, Florida, began her academic journey at Coker in the mid-1990s. After facing academic issues, she left the University in 1997. For years, she assumed that chapter of her life was closed.

That changed in 2016, when McCall went blind.

“Overnight, my world changed,” she said. “I had to learn how to live again. How to move, how to adapt, and how to believe that my story wasn’t over.”

Through vocational rehabilitation services and advocacy work, McCall found a renewed sense of purpose centered on public policy, leadership, and support for blind and visually impaired individuals. That journey ultimately led her back to Coker, this time as a focused adult learner determined to finish what she started.

Now living in Orlando, McCall completed her degree through Coker’s online programs, balancing coursework alongside her professional and family responsibilities. She returned to South Carolina for Winter Commencement to walk across the stage, after landing on both the Dean’s and President’s Lists. 

“What I’m most proud of isn’t the grades. It’s the growth,” she said. “I came back more focused, more grounded, and more determined than ever before.”

McCall credits much of her success to the support she received from Coker faculty and staff, particularly the accessibility accommodations that allowed her to thrive as a visually impaired student. With the help of screen readers, accessible textbooks, and a proactive academic support team, she was able to engage in her coursework fully.

Just as important was the support she received at home. McCall is the mother of four children, including twin daughters and two sons, who encouraged her every step of the way and helped her navigate new technology and software.

“They kept me going,” she said. “On the days I was tired or frustrated, I remembered that they were watching me.”

Also by her side throughout her academic journey was Quincy, her service dog. Trained in New Jersey, Quincy provides McCall with both independence and confidence as she navigates daily life. “He gives me freedom,” she said. “He’s part of how I’m able to do all of this.”

McCall was selected to deliver the commencement address after submitting a short speech as part of a University-wide call for speakers. Despite being visually impaired, she memorized the entire address and delivered it without notes, earning a standing ovation from graduates, families, faculty, and staff.

“It’s never too late to start over,” McCall told her fellow graduates. “You are never too old to dream again. And you are always capable of doing the impossible.”

McCall’s journey with Coker is not over. She will begin the University’s Master of Business Administration program in January, with an emphasis on leadership. The program's flexibility, she said, makes it possible to continue her education while working full-time.

“When you find your purpose, you don’t stop,” she said. “You grow.”

As she looks ahead, McCall hopes her story serves as encouragement to others who may doubt their place in higher education.

“This degree isn’t just for me,” she said. “It’s for anyone who has ever wondered if they can do this. The answer is yes.”