CBS News contributor David Begnaud‘s latest installment of Dear David features inspiring stories sent by viewers, including the story of a Texas custodian who earned four college degrees while working overnight and raising four kids, and a local mailman who adopted a dog from his old route after the pup’s owner passed away.
Custodian earns 4 degrees while working full-time
Jessica Caldwell, a mother of four, has achieved what many would consider impossible: earning four college degrees while working full-time as a custodian and raising her children.
For more than a decade, Caldwell cleaned classrooms overnight at A&M Central Texas University, walking more than 26,000 miles behind a custodian’s cart. When her shift ended at 5 a.m., she would care for her children and attend college courses.
“I was in charge of cleaning the classrooms and two of the buildings out of the three that we have at A&M Central Texas,” Caldwell said. “A couple of them actually have computers in them. So I was actually able to work on my homework or my assignments during my lunch break.”
During the day, she sat in the very classrooms she cleaned at night. Her work schedule made completing a traditional teaching degree nearly impossible, but with help from the university and professors, she found a workaround.
Caldwell has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees while working full-time as a custodian and is now one step away from earning her teaching credentials.
“Just be persistent as far as continuing on something that you want to achieve,” Caldwell said. “A lot of people that have a job that they think that they don’t matter in, they actually do really matter.”
Postal worker adopts dog from former route
A postal worker’s bond with a dog on his delivery route led to an unexpected adoption when the canine needed a new home.
Ian Burke, a postal worker, had developed a friendship with Pretty Boy Floyd, a border collie mix, during his regular mail route. When Burke’s route changed more than a year ago, their regular visits ended.
In May, Burke learned from another mail carrier that Floyd’s owner, an elderly Vietnam veteran, had died and the dog was at the pound with nowhere to go.
“I didn’t want him in the shelter any longer than he needed to be,” Burke said. “They opened up at 10 a.m. and I got there at 9:50 just to make sure that I was in line and that there was no other fans of Floyd ahead of me to get him.”
Burke successfully adopted Floyd, giving both of them a new daily routine together.
David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive “CBS Mornings” series, “Beg-Knows America.” Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at DearDavid@cbsnews.com
