Maney Walker considered going to college back when he was in high school. He played football, and one of his coaches was a Texas Lutheran graduate. He talked to Walker and some of his teammates about the idea of applying to become Bulldogs. When Walker graduated in 1978, he didn’t have a lot of confidence academically, but decided to give college a shot, enrolling at St. Philip’s instead of Texas Lutheran. 

But college didn’t stick. “I was only there a few weeks before I just walked out and never looked back,” he says. 

Life took him in a different direction, and he got a job at Southwest Airlines. “I started out as a ramp agent in Ground Operations,” he recalls. “Our job was to guide the aircraft to the right gate and line them up with the jetway for deplaning and boarding the passengers.” Other duties included unloading luggage and transporting it to baggage claim.

In fewer than five years, Walker was promoted to Operations, where he was tasked with calculating the weight and balance of the airplane—which is vital in ensuring that the plane takes on the correct amount of fuel to keep it in the air without weighing it down too much for takeoff. If you’d ever flown on Southwest Airlines in those years, Walker was also the guy making the boarding announcements and taking your boarding pass before you headed down the jetway.

After that, the airline moved him to Cargo, where he spent the next twenty years as a cargo agent. Before long, thirty-eight years had passed since he’d gone to work at Southwest Airlines. He retired, and for the next two years, spent time with his daughters and his grandkids. 

All told, he’d been away from education for forty years. But somewhere deep down, the question was still there: Could he be successful in college? Could he cut that level of work academically and earn his degree?

A lot of people wonder that, of course—people who for one reason or another take other paths after high school. But it takes a lot of gumption to actually go through the process of applying—much less to commit to getting to classes, asking questions, studying, and all of the other things that are required. Doing all of that as a non-traditional student takes an added measure of courage. 

Maney Walker had the gumption and he found the courage. 

He applied to TLU, was accepted, and began taking classes. He majored in theology. “To be honest, theology was not my first choice,” he admits. “But I started thinking that I wanted to learn more about God. I wanted to develop a better connection spiritually.” 

And he did it. He didn’t just scrape by, either. He earned a place in Theta Alpha Kappa, the theology honor society. He formed special bonds with professors like Dr. Norman Beck and Dr. Carl Hughes. And in December 2025, Maney Walker earned his degree. 

“Maney’s presence has been a true gift to TLU and to his fellow students,” says Hughes, professor of theology and Walker’s advisor. “He sets an example for everyone in the classroom with his hard work and persistence.”

Hughes says Walker’s wealth of life experience made for richer class discussions and broadened the perspectives of the younger students around him. “I’ve always admired his humility and openness to new ideas. Unlike other students who can sometimes be hesitant to admit that they don’t know something, Maney seems happiest when he is learning new things and expanding his horizons. He embodies the curiosity and embrace of lifelong learning that a liberal arts education is supposed to foster.”

But Walker is ever humble. “Dr. Hughes is exceedingly kind,” he says. “He was most helpful and very patient with me.” 

Getting into college and doing the work would have been challenge enough—but those weren’t the only hurdles Walker faced before he graduated. Some unexpected medical issues arose that slowed him down, and he was faced with a decision: How would he move forward in spite of the challenges? “I simply made up my mind that my medical diagnosis was not going to stop me,” he says. “I worked too long and hard. I guess I have always been that way, from a small boy until now,” he adds with a chuckle.

He admits that his staunch determination might’ve gotten him into trouble now and then growing up, but it served him well in college. “I try not to start projects unless I aim to finish them. I was extremely hard on my two girls when they were in school; so, I am hard on myself. I never ask them to do anything that I would not do.”

That sense of conviction had made him a dedicated employee throughout his career with the airline, it held him to an impeccable work ethic, it led him to retire with a pristine record. It also pushed him to give his best in college, and if there was ever any doubt in his mind that he had what it took to succeed, that doubt has transformed into something that looks more like confidence. Assurance. A willingness and open-mindedness to keep on learning.

Which explains why he’s back in class this semester—working toward earning his second bachelor’s degree, most likely in English.

Who knows? Perhaps that high school football coach back in the ’70s saw the same spark in Walker that Hughes sees. And maybe that seed he planted—to go to college—maybe that’s had time to grow and flourish through the years. Maybe Walker’s confidence in his own ability is still growing, day by day, as he proves to himself that he can do whatever he sets his mind to. And now, in turn, he encourages others to do the same. “Never give up on a goal you set for yourself,” he says. 

For those who stepped away from school and have always wondered if there’s still time to take a leap of faith and pursue their education, Walker can speak from the other side of the dream. “Do not let age, circumstances, and excuses destroy pursuing what makes you happy.”