PATHWAY TO A PURPOSE
Growing up in Demopolis, Alabama, Theo Gilmore Jr. (PG’22) was like most other kids. His days were spent playing basketball, enjoying time with friends and his dad, and looking for a pathway to his dreams.
A dream of pursuing an education and then a career in youth mentorship led Gilmore to Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College.
“I knew I wanted to work with kids, so I enrolled at Ivy Tech looking at human services,” he says.
Gilmore had a vision beyond his time spent at Ivy Tech, though. His vision fit into the Pathways Partnership program developed by Ivy Tech and Purdue Global leaders, who were working to make Ivy Tech associate’s degrees 100% transferable to Purdue Global for bachelor’s degrees.
After earning an associate’s degree in human services from Ivy Tech, Gilmore briefly attended Calumet College of St. Joseph on an athletic and music scholarship. But there remained a constant reminder of a promise Gilmore made to his late father when he was younger—his studies weren’t yet complete.
Enter Purdue Global, Purdue’s online university for working adults, to help him with his comeback.
Gilmore found the flexibility offered by Purdue Global to be a perfect fit for a working adult like himself. Many years of balancing basketball and books helped prepare him for the journey to come.
“Growing up, my dad always told me, ‘Business before pleasure. As long as you’re handling what you need to handle, you can go out and have your fun later,’” Gilmore says.
Gilmore is among many students who have benefited from the Pathways Partnership program, which provides improved access to advanced degrees for the 350,000 Indiana workers who have some college credit but no degree—and for the 2 million working-age Hoosiers who have no postsecondary credentials. Thanks to the program, Gilmore’s degree was fast-tracked because Purdue Global accepted his Ivy Tech credits.
“They provided all sorts of support for you. The teachers and professors were always reaching out and would work with you, and that really helped a lot.”
Gilmore’s success at both Ivy Tech and Purdue Global prepared him for his role with Elevate Indianapolis, a nonprofit educational organization that employs mentors who build long-term life-changing relationships with the city’s urban youth, equipping them to thrive and contribute to their community.
Gilmore mentors and works with young people who attend two schools within the Indianapolis Public Schools district.
The lessons learned during his own journey are helping Gilmore succeed in mentoring the youth of today and preparing them for tomorrow—in both Indianapolis and Demopolis, where he hosts a turkey giveaway every fall. By giving back to his hometown, Gilmore lives the values instilled in him and reinforces his belief in the importance of community.
“It taught me different ways of understanding how people work, different behaviors, and just being more empathetic to people because different people go through all types of things. So, I always want to be one of those who try to encourage you along the way.”
Using his experiences at Ivy Tech and Purdue Global as a resource, Gilmore tries to inspire students to continue their educational journeys, offering hope and encouragement during whatever challenges they may face.
“I try to give them hope,” Gilmore says. “I let them know that they’re going to go through some things, that curveballs will come at you. You can push through! It doesn’t matter where you come from, where you started—you can finish and come out on top.”
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