The 2024 Ozarks Technical Community College Commencement Ceremony student speaker is Robert-Thomas Gumersell.
The 21-year-old Springfield native is receiving his Associate of Arts in General Studies and a Certificate of Specialization in Honors Studies.
Robert-Thomas, known around campus as R.T., started attending OTC as a dual-enrolled home school high school student when he was 18. Robert-Thomas’s classes were online, but he still would come to the Springfield campus for help accessing his online courses or tutoring. Robert-Thomas found everyone to be welcoming and helpful.
That supportive “OTC Cares” attitude was extremely beneficial to Robert-Thomas because he has high-functioning autism. When he was younger and attending school, Robert-Thomas would be distracted by someone sharpening a pencil or two students whispering in the back of the class, which made homeschooling a better option for Robert-Thomas.
At OTC, Robert-Thomas quickly made friends when he started attending the Politically Active Student Group meetings. Since he appeared at all the organization’s meetings, one of the faculty advisors asked if he would join Politically Active’s Leadership Cabinet.
Getting involved in Politically Active was a springboard to more opportunities for Robert-Thomas outside the classroom. By the summer of 2022, Robert-Thomas joined OTC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) — the international honor society for students at two-year colleges. Robert-Thomas rose in the ranks of PTK to become Chapter President and Regional Vice President for the Tri-State Area.
In addition, the Office of Student Engagement hired Robert-Thomas as a student ambassador. Robert-Thomas worked on the ambassador’s communication team, making videos for OTC’s social media channels.
Besides being neurodivergent, Robert-Thomas had another challenge to overcome to achieve his associate degree. When Robert-Thomas was 16, his father died.
Despite that tragedy, Robert-Thomas is thriving. He is about to graduate college, plays competitive baseball, and is involved in his church. By any measure, Robert-Thomas is living a fulfilled life.
Robert-Thomas is not the only OTC student in his household; his mother, Lesa, also attends OTC to finish her associate degree using the State’s Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant. When Robert-Thomas met Missouri Governor Mike Parson through the Governor’s Student Leadership Forum, he thanked the Governor for signing Fast Track into law.
Robert-Thomas will transfer to Missouri State University in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in communication.