David Carter, 67, is turning his life around, thanks to a student at the University of Texas. He helped Carter re-apply to the school after learning he was once a student at UT.
Carter dropped out of the school's studio art program in 1975 after an accident injured his hand and soon after, his life spiraled. He also struggled for several years with mental health issues, including schizophrenia and substance abuse.
UT Austin student Ryan Chandler met Carter near the campus, where Carter often panhandles to earn money to cover his housing costs.
The 20-year-old government and journalism major found out Carter had been trying to re-enroll in the school after deciding to profile him for the student paper, The Daily Texan.
With the help of the Office of Admissions and countless hours of work over the last few months, Chandler has helped Carter secure his transcripts and get readmitted to UT.
"This has been something that we've been working on pretty constantly for the past six months. Seeing it finally come to fruition is pretty awesome," said Carter. "I couldn't have done it without him."
Carter begins his two courses on Thursday. An anonymous alumnus has paid for his tuition.
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