After serving the army for 20 years and working as a fire-fighter for a brief period of time, one would have thought 66-year-old Wayne King would be relaxing at home with his family, which includes 14 grandchildren from his two marriages.
But King decided to join Union College to finish his graduation.
King, pursuing a degree in recreational management, is described as a graybeard, tall, cheerful person who is loved by his community members.
"He's a cool dude," said sophomore Melissa Mills of Barbourville, who misidentified King for a professor when she first met him in class.
King, who is passionate about golf, is spotted ringing a cow bell at most Union College athletic events including women's softball and volleyball.
In 1965, King joined the army and earned his GED while he was posted in Germany for two years. He also worked in Korea and at several bases in the U.S., including Fort Ord, Calif.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; and Fort Campbell, Ky.
King retired from the Army, 1990, with E-7 sergeant first class rank.
Apart from the army, he worked for the fire department, as a school bus driver, and in the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government before retiring for the second time.
True to the saying, 'Good Things Come When Least Expected,' King was asked to join Union College to complete a degree after his wife Kay was hired as an administrative assistant over there, April 2011.
"He's always been able to do anything else he's ever wanted to do," said Kay, who also is taking classes at Union. "There was no reason he couldn't learn, and there was no reason he couldn't compete with these kids. Wayne has a broad background and life experiences that these college kids don't."
King agreed to give it a thought after he spoke to Union golf coach Eric Wyrick about his chances for playing for the Bulldogs. He was told that he cannot be a part of the team unless he scores well in his academics in his freshmen year.
"Having to do things like read a book and write a report on it - something I hadn't done in 47 years - yeah, it was hard," King said.
After earning good GPA, King was allowed to play golf and bowl for Bulldogs as a sophomore.
Mary Beth Spurlock, an English professor said that King proved to be a valuable asset to the class as he brought varied perspectives, accumulated from his experience.
"I get flustered sometimes and ask myself, 'Why am I doing this?'" King said. "A lot of it has to do with my wife (Kay), because she wants me to."But it's also because now I know I can do it. The first year was real tough, but I survived. And now I've survived the second year."
