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A Texas man who spent nearly forty years homeless was readmitted to the University of Texas at Austin nearly 49 years after his first enrollment in school, thanks in part to a current student who helped him throughout the application process.
David Carter, 67, of Austin, Texas, left the school's studio art program in 1975 after struggling for years with mental health issues including schizophrenia and addiction. He reduced his ability to draw after being hurt by hand in an incident involving alcohol.
But now he has a second chance to finish his studies, but this time he will study literature.
"I like talking to people smarter than me," Carter said. "I want to learn how to learn. I am not a good listener, but I want to learn to listen and listen to learn. "
After leaving UT Austin, Carter spent the next two decades hitchhiking across the country. He then returned to Austin in 1995 to help his sick parents. He spent much of his time homeless, until he found subsidized housing six years ago through Caritas nonprofit of Austin.
Austin Chandler, a student at Austin University, met Carter in "The Drag", a near-campus artery, where Carter panics often to earn money to cover his housing costs.
The 20-year-old government and journalism major discovered that Carter was trying to re-enroll at school after deciding to profile him for The Daily Texan newspaper.
"I could not believe his experience and his connection with UT," Chandler said when he discovered that Carter had been dating UT Austin in the 1970s.
Carter told NBC News that he had tried to re-register with UT Austin a few semesters ago, but had encountered obstacles because he did not have access to a computer and could not afford to pay the application fees. .
Chandler said that he made contact with the president's office, who put him in touch with the main admissions office, who then put him in touch with the admissions office of the College of Fine Arts. Chandler met with Carter several times to complete the application and even covered his application fees.
After about six months of going back to school, Carter was readmitted to the UTT Austin College of Fine Arts.
In a statement to NBC News, Doug Dempster, dean of the Austin University of the Arts, congratulated Carter for his commitment to continue his studies.
"We welcome him, as every year, many students whose education has taken a less direct path," said Mr. Demptser. "We admire his courage and perseverance. We will give him all the help needed to help him in his remaining work. We are grateful for the generosity of our fellow Longhorns who are mobilizing to support Mr. Carter. "
Carter will be attending two courses in June during the summer semester, before starting to work full throttle starting in the fall. He is eager to give everything.
"I have 90 bucks and I'm going to reinvest it in my studies," Carter told NBC News.
Carter said he aspired to write several books and was particularly interested in African studies and the civil rights movement. As a newly re-admitted student, Carter is delighted to have access to the library, which will allow him to work on his books more regularly.
"[David’s] has a long road ahead. His goal was to prove he could become a student again and that's what he did, "Chandler said.
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