Brooks Fitts was devastated when a series of medical problems forced him to withdraw from high school in the 11th grade. As he watched his friends and brother graduate high school and move forward in life, he was certain his dream of attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was gone forever.

After recovering, Fitts decided to obtain his high school equivalency diploma so he could land a job and possibly go to college. He had doubts about community colleges, but he gave Wake Tech a try.

"I thought community colleges were for subpar students, people who didn't care," he said. "I quickly realized the people who were there – most were older and had jobs and families – really do care about their education. That pushed me to see things in different ways."

Fitts continued at Wake Tech after earning his equivalency diploma, hoping to resurrect his dream. He says instructors like Associate Professor of English Dr. Jenifer Wolkowski gave him confidence.

"When I started at Wake Tech, I was unsure of my abilities," he said, noting that he was born with cerebral palsy and has always walked with a limp.

"Dr. Wolkowski made me comfortable in my own skin. She made me feel I belonged," he said. "She saw something in me I didn't know I had. That catapulted me, motivated me to move forward."

Fitts stood out among her students, Wolkowski says, because of his dedication, resilience, intelligence and humor.

"That is just who Brooks is. He's going to work harder than anyone, and his work showed it," said Wolkowski, who has stayed in touch with Fitts over the years.

With his newfound confidence, Fitts applied for and was accepted into the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program (C-STEP), UNC-Chapel Hill's guaranteed admission program for North Carolina community college students.

"I was on a mission once I got into C-STEP," he said. "With my background, I figured I had to get all A's to get into Carolina."

He pushed forward, focusing solely on his classes, and was accepted at UNC-Chapel Hill before finishing his Associate in Arts degree.

"Wake Tech gave me the wings to succeed," he said.

Fitts continued soaring after Wake Tech, double majoring in Comparative Literature and Peace, War & Defense to earn a bachelor's degree. During his time in Chapel Hill, he led an effort to install a permanent granite ramp at the university's iconic Old Well. Officials previously set up a temporary metal ramp a couple times each year, which Fitts says wasn't enough to meet the needs of students and others with disabilities.

"Having a disability myself, I felt an obligation to speak up for folks who often don't have a voice," he said. "My dad was an inspiration as well."

Fitts' father suffered a massive, debilitating stroke when Fitts was a child and died a few years later. That experience prompted him to correspond with former President Barack Obama about growing up without a father. (He also solicited dating advice from former President George W. Bush because he admires Bush's relationship with former first lady Laura Bush.)

Fitts now works part-time in an attorney's office and is in an online paralegal program at Duke University. His goal is to get into law school and eventually represent people with disabilities as an attorney.

"I really enjoy the advocacy work," he said. "People have helped me when I needed assistance, and I want to do the same for others."