KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
There was an unlikely graduate among the students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's graduation ceremony Friday night. He's a former homeless drug addict who spent years on the streets. Now, he's getting not one, but two master's degrees.
After a 30-year battle with cocaine addiction, John Swanton kicked drugs through the Kansas City Rescue Mission's six-month program, then went back to school.
Friday night, he graduated from UMKC with two master's degrees in business and real estate plus finance.
"Make the changes you want to make, that you need to make. Don't be afraid to make the changes you need to make, don't give into your addiction. Try," Swanton said.
Swanton said his goal is to one day own the Boston Red Sox. For now, he plans to become an urban developer while remaining a volunteer at the rescue mission.
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