JTC 26: 'It’s Not Too Late'

This month, the smiling face that students see when they stop by the dean’s office in the University of Mississippi School of Engineering is not just a staff member behind a desk; she is a fellow graduate.  

Debbie Shelby, the school's administrative secretary, is joining in the university’s 2026 Commencement ceremonies as she completes a lifelong goal of earning her college degree.  

“Returning to school was something personal to me,” Shelby said. “It was a promise I had made to myself and to honor my legacy and all that my grandparents and mother believed I could achieve.” 

Originally from Joliet, Illinois, Shelby graduated from high school in 1980 and began her college career at Benedictine University. During this time, she moved into the next stages of life, marrying her high school sweetheart, Vincent, and starting a family that would eventually include their children Kinsyn, Clarissa and Quintin. 

But Shelby was hit by a car in 1983 while catching a bus to classes at Joliet Junior College. Her injuries required a year of medical care and therapy. 

“As a young mother, I was not only trying to recover physically but also remain present for my children who depended on me every day,” she said. 

After recovering from the accident, Shelby paused her coursework to begin a position at AT&T in Naperville, Illinois, working in purchasing and text processing. Over the years, her career evolved across telecommunications, project management and education. 

“Each experience strengthened my ability to adapt, lead and serve others,” she said. 

In November 2020, Vincent got a job offer in north Mississippi, so the couple and their children headed south. 

“When visiting Oxford, we were so impressed with the Ole Miss campus, and I told my husband that this is where I want to work,” Shelby recalled. “He encouraged me to put in an application, and that’s just what I did.” 

After starting her new position, Shelby found out about the university's staff tuition assistance scholarship and the opportunity to classes. 

“As my children grew older, I began to reflect more deeply on the example I had set,” she said. “I had spent years encouraging them to pursue their education, to finish what they started, but I realized there was still something unfinished in my own story.” 

In 2022, Shelby decided to begin working toward the university’s Bachelor of Multi-Disciplinary Studies degree. The program allowed her to craft her own degree by choosing three minors that suited her goals.  

She chose to pursue courses in English, general business and entrepreneurship. 

“Through this combination of courses, I was able to explore my passion for writing while building practical skills for the future in business,” she said. 

Shelby said she has always loved poetry and had been working on a book of inspirational poems over the years. She credited Ole Miss English instructor Elizabeth Spencer with helping her advance her writing while working on her degree. 

“When I stepped into the classroom of Beth Spencer for the first time, she brought out writing in me that I did not know that I had,” Shelby said. “She challenged me to think deeply, write boldly and discover abilities still in progress.”

Shelby enjoyed her English courses so much that during spring break in 2023, she stepped out of her comfort zone and joined Spencer’s Fantasy Fiction in the U.K. study abroad class. She joined fellow students from Ole Miss and the University of Minnesota to spend a week exploring literary works throughout Great Britain. 

“It was a big deal for me,” she said. “I had never been out of the country without my husband and never been over the Atlantic Ocean.” 

During the weeklong visit, the class engaged in reading and creative writing workshops while traveling throughout England and Scotland, visiting castles and museums. They also stopped for literary tours in Edinburgh and Oxford, including a visit to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. 

“When I think about that trip and that class, it’s nothing I ever would have expected that I would have done,” Shelby said. “I gained more knowledge and confidence than I ever would have expected.” 

Another milestone for Shelby was her MDS capstone project, guided by Andrew Pfrenger, the program's director and assistant professor. 

“Reading through Debbie’s capstone assignments, it was always clear that Debbie has a plan for what comes after retirement,” Pfrenger said.  “Her MDS degree is a passion project but also an investment in her future.  

"She has the drive and ingenuity that inspires others to want to do more and be more.” 

The project also has helped Shelby to begin exploring what she can do with her degree and the knowledge and confidence she has gained. 

“This class provided me with an experience that required discipline, soul-searching and accountability that I feel will assist me after graduation,” she said. 

Soul-searching became common while she was working on her degree. Shelby said she faced one of the most difficult moments in her life in January 2025. 

“I was rushed to the hospital and faced a medical condition that could have changed the quality of my life and the outcome of my story,” she said. “But those earlier setbacks in my life had shaped me. They had taught me about resilience, patience and faith." 

While in the hospital Shelby thought back to 1983, when an accident had interrupted her life. 

"This time I had strong faith," she said. "This time I knew the power of God because I had seen the result from the power of prayer.  

“He healed my husband three times from cancer. He had already healed me before as well, so there was absolutely no doubt that He wouldn’t do it again.” 

She had surgery that May but remained enrolled in one online course. 

“I needed to remain committed to finishing the class and keep progressing toward graduation,” she said. 

Shelby is wrapping up her master's degree and will walk in the Office of General Studies' Commencement ceremony to receive her diploma at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. 

“Completing my degree has given me more than academic knowledge; it gave me tools, confidence and renewed purpose,” she said. 

Returning to college was more than just an achievement for herself, said Shelby, who has eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. 

“It is an honor to my grandparents, who sacrificed for a better future for their family, and an honor to my mother, who showed me the power of perseverance,” she said. “Determination is what allowed me to move forward, realizing it was not too late to continue my educational journey to earn my degree. 

“Every setback, every delay, every moment of uncertainty has been a part of the path that led me here. At this moment, I can say with certainty; it has been worth every step.”  

Top: Debbie Shelby, administrative secretary in the University of Mississippi School of Engineering, graduates in May with a Bachelor of Multi-Disciplinary Studies degree after returning to school more than four decades after her college career was interrupted by a car accident. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services 

See more photos from Debbie Shelby's Journey to Commencement