Bryon Michael: He earned it
Bryon Michael Donner started his associate's degree in prison. He finished his bachelor's a decade later with a plan to pay it forward.
Bryon Michael Donner wants you to know that where he started is not where he ended up.
In December 2021, Bryon Michael graduated from Texas A&M University–Central Texas with his bachelor of business administration (BBA), majoring in management and minoring in computer information systems. He credits his own discipline, a Christian men’s group called A Call for Men, and his ReUp Success Coach, Christine Villa, for making it possible.
But the climb to that degree was steep. Throughout his life, Bryon Michael has had to overcome childhood trauma, recover from a methamphetamine addiction, and serve a prison sentence for felony armed robbery. Finishing college after all of that was still hard. “At times, I couldn’t stand any more coursework,” he shares. “But I enjoy learning, and enjoying it got me through. I’ve spent so much of my life running, quitting, blowing up, sabotaging; I didn’t want to do it again. I was motivated to complete it, to persevere and graduate, to hold that [diploma] up and say, ‘Look what I’ve done!'”
Rough beginnings
As one of five kids raised in extreme poverty by a single mother, Bryon Michael moved around a lot during his childhood, attending 11 different elementary schools. He describes his childhood as “physically, mentally, emotionally, [and] sexually violent.” He got along with classmates and generally enjoyed school subjects, but instability at home made trust difficult. “That was hard,” he recalls. “It really messed me up.”
He graduated from high school in 1994. In the years that followed, a methamphetamine addiction prevented him from completing credits at community college. In March 2003, he was arrested for felony armed robbery. He was 27. For the next 12 years, he spent his days in various correctional facilities in Texas.
A prison-to-college pipeline
Going to prison, Bryon Michael says, was one of the “best things that ever happened in my life.” He sought treatment for his addiction. He worked as a Service Support Inmate. And it was while incarcerated that he returned to his education.
It took five years, enrolling in a class or two per semester, but in 2010, he completed his associate’s degree in general studies through Trinity Valley Community College, earning a 3.88 GPA with honors.
In 2011, he transferred to a different facility and began work toward his bachelor’s degree with TAMU–Central Texas. He wasn’t able to complete it while incarcerated because inmates couldn’t access computers and the internet, but in 2015, Bryon Michael made parole. He returned to Alabama in September 2016.
A love of learning
After leaving prison, Bryon Michael found work quickly. But he knew finishing his bachelor’s degree would improve his situation. “I wanted to finish it for myself,” he explains. “I knew I needed it so I could do things with my career — with my future.”
In 2020, he responded to an email from Christine Villa, a ReUp Success Coach supporting adult learners as they re-enroll and complete their degrees.
“I had heard about life coaching and things such as that,” Bryon Michael remembers. Initially, his learned distrust kicked in. “That old man was very standoffish; I didn’t want to talk,” he admits. “I remember [wondering] whether I wanted to continue conversing with Christine or just blow her off because I didn’t know what it would be like. And I also thought in my arrogance and pride, I don’t need coaching. I’ve got this.”
After a few phone conversations and emails, he started to see that coaching was having a real effect on his motivation and confidence. “Not only did I need it, but it’s valuable,” he reflects.
Learner pro tip “Coaching has been valuable in successfully completing my bachelor’s degree. Don’t go into it closed-minded.” — Bryon Michael Donner
Over the next couple of years, Christine watched his growth in real time. “He was growing and continued to grow; it was evident in every interaction,” she remembers. “Even on the days we discussed his challenges and obstacles, he always persevered and ended our conversation with his strengths, what he did well, and where he wanted to go!”
With Christine’s support, Bryon Michael re-applied to TAMU–Central Texas and began taking classes. He loved it. “Every conversation I left feeling lighter,” he says. “She was always there whenever I was experiencing a struggle. There were times talking to Christine where I would work through an assignment. After talking to her, I could complete the assignment.”
Coaching didn’t just help him academically. One semester, Christine helped him appeal when he was incorrectly denied a Pell Grant. She also served as his sounding board for what was happening in his health and his life. “It might not have to do with school, but I could talk about it,” he shares. “Just having Christine there to say, ‘OK, I hear what you’re saying’ and give pointers. She has always given me pointers.”
“I’m not the same man. I’ve changed.”
Paying it forward
Bryon Michael completed his BBA in December 2021. Christine recalls the moment he shared the news: “When I learned he graduated, I was ecstatic and so, so proud! It was an emotional moment being able to see him achieve his goal!”
Through counseling, Bryon Michael learned to process frustrations through writing rather than acting out. He enjoys his current job and takes on web-development projects on the side. He hopes to eventually work in data science.
He wants to have a positive impact on the community. “I want to pay it forward,” he affirms. “Look at what I’ve been through; it has been work! It takes determination; it takes strength; it takes willpower. I want to encourage people to succeed. Don’t just dream. Don’t just talk. Strive, strive, strive!”
Learner pro tip “Have a purpose in life, a reason for obtaining a degree, for actually living a successful life. For those who are thinking of going to college or completing a degree, it is work. But it is absolutely worth it.” — Bryon Michael Donner