Not once, but twice, Guy Glendenning walked away from his educational track.

In the end, his determination to get his high school diploma won out.

“I started to beat myself down about it. I realized I could go again. I wasn’t OK with (dropping out) before so I obviously wasn’t going to be OK with it now,” said Glendenning following Thursday’s Excel Center Winter Commencement Ceremony at the Strand Theatre in downtown Shelbyville. “I had to work on my mental health quite a bit to get through it and I was able to do that.

“By the time I got through it all, I was acing everything, writing speeches, and working with the school on other issues.”

Glendenning (photo), now 43 years old, was the featured speaker Thursday as part of the nine-member graduating class. He followed in the footsteps of his wife, Andrea, and son, Gavin, who received their Excel Center high school diplomas at the June commencement ceremony at the Strand.

“It has meant a lot to me and my wife to be able to finish this up,” he said. “It was kind of unique that me and her and my son got to attend at the same time. My son may not agree totally, but he is very supportive. He’s got our back just like we have his. It was exciting that we got to do it together.”

Glendenning dropped out of Greensburg High School as a senior more than two decades ago due to multiple circumstances including anxiety, bullying, and a slower learning capacity compared to his classmates.

“I needed help that I could not find in my school and simply did not have the courage to ask for,” said Glendenning in his speech in front of the Excel Center staff, graduating class and friends and family in attendance.

Over the years, Glendenning moved through several uninteresting jobs to make ends meet.

“I had been able to do OK without my education but there were some missing links in there, some tools that I needed to help me with my goals,” said Glendenning.

With his children growing up, the couple have two sons and a grandson, Glendenning saw an opportunity to correct a decision made at a difficult time in his life.

“A lot of this is providing closure to something I started close to 20 years ago,” he said. “I beat myself down for many years. Now, I can wipe this off my list.”

Glendenning has already started a part-time gem and mineral business, Cosmic Rock Star Gifts, which will tie into his future goals of helping others. He has already applied to work with the Excel Center staff and he is looking into certifications in holistic health.

“I have been studying it for awhile,” he said. “I realized once I started to get to the end of this that there are certifications available in holistic health, so I have shifted my focus to that now that I can make a living doing that.

“My whole purpose is to find something I can do to give back. I am not necessarily after a lot of money because there are other payoffs.”

Such as when Glendenning was approached by a man after Thursday’s ceremony ended to deliver a message.

“He thanked me for what I did because he is 49 years old and about to start college,” said Glendenning. “If I reached one person through any of these endeavors, it was worth it.”

The graduating Class of 2022 also included Kayla Barngrover, Kali Bockover, Zachary Bourland, Erika Ceasar, Brailin Geiling, Rocky Losito, Miah Lower and Logan Miller.

Get the most recent Shelby County Post headlines delivered to your email. Go to shelbycountypost.com and click on the free daily email signup link at the top of the page.