By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Shane Stage cuts the grass on the campus of Thomas More College. He worked full time in the college's maintenance department while earning a degree. (Patrick Reddy photos) | ZOOM |

CRESTVIEW HILLS - The moniker "Superman" was coined for people like Shane Stage.

When the 40-year-old Florence man graduates from Thomas More College on Saturday, he'll celebrate the end of four years of juggling a full-time job, family obligations and a full class load.

While doing all that, the non-traditional student who's done everything from cutting lawns to fighting fires to teaching Naval recruits about nuclear subs earned a 3.7 grade point average. This fall, the father of five plans to move his family to Chicago, where he'll teach high school social studies.

Saturday's commencement exercises are the first time in four years that Stage, who handles maintenance, custodial and groundskeeping duties for the college, won't have to work a graduation.

This time, the man who was recognized as the school's outstanding non-traditional student in 2001-2002 will line up with his fellow graduates as Thomas More College President E. Joseph Lee II confers 290 degrees.

Shane Stage with his wife, Laura, and their children, Cheyann, 4 (foreground left), Kaitlyn, 9, and Canyon, 10 months, in their Florence apartment. | ZOOM |

"My family deserves all the credit, especially my wife, Laura,'' Stage said. "She worked the midnight shift at Meijer for three years just so I could achieve all of my goals. My kids gave up a lot, too. I've missed a lot of basketball and tee-ball games these past few years. I'm looking forward to being with my family again.''

At Saturday's ceremony, graduates will gather at 1:30 p.m. on the Holbrook Student Center lawn to hear speaker David B. Dick, a former correspondent for CBS News and a Kentucky author. In case of rain, the event will be in the Connor Convocation Center.

The four-year, private liberal arts college will recognize three other people Saturday:

• James A. Schuttemeyer, an associate professor in the department of English, who'll be named Full-time Faculty of the Year.

• Rev. William D. Carpe, adjunct professor in the department of theology, who'll be recognized as Part-time Faculty of the Year.

• Tracy Hurley, who's receiving the school's Presidential Award.

But it's Stage who'll likely have one of the largest turnouts, as a dozen relatives from throughout the Midwest and countless faculty and staff cheer him on.

IF YOU GO

What: 75th annual Thomas More College commencement. When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Where: Holbrook Student Center lawn. In case of rain, the event will be in Connor Convocation Center. Commencement address: David B. Dick, a veteran CBS News reporter, Kentucky author and University of Kentucky graduate, will deliver the address. Admission: Tickets are available from graduates. Otherwise, the event is closed to the public. Elsewhere: The College of Mount St. Joseph in Delhi Township will hold two ceremonies Saturday - 10 a.m. for graduate and non-traditional students and 3 p.m. for traditional students. Neither ceremony is open to the public.

"He's the ultimate success story," said Stage's boss, Jeff Kordenbrock, the college's director of facilities. "I'm going to be real happy to see him walk down that walkway."

Everyone at Thomas More knew Stage well because they always saw him around campus mowing grass or setting up tables for events, said Barbara Zahler, chair of the Education Department.

"He isn't afraid of a challenge, and he certainly isn't afraid of working hard," Zahler said. "Plus his past experiences make him an even more well-rounded person."

Dr. Maria McLean, who taught Stage in one of her psychology classes at Thomas More, described him as very bright with "an incredibly strong work ethic."

"My experiences with him led me to believe that he's the kind of role model we want for our high school students," she said. "He persevered and stuck to his goal. And he lives by values that we'd want our children to live by."

Stage, a North College Hill native, attended Covington Latin School and went to Roger Bacon High School for three years before his family moved to Florida. Halfway through his freshman year at a junior college, Stage got married and dropped out of school.

His ex-wife now lives in Chicago with his oldest children, Emily, 14; and Erin, 11.

Stage's eclectic resume includes a five-year stint in the Navy, as well as jobs as a firefighter, emergency medical technician, and a worker at an M&M/Mars plant.

In 1997, Stage was working as an electronics mechanical technician at United Parcel Service when a shoulder injury ended his career. "That's when I said, 'What am I going to do for the rest of my life?' " he recalled.

That same year, the lawyer handling his workers compensation case suggested that Stage consider going back to school, especially one that allowed its full-time employees to attend tuition-free.

Stage called Thomas More's facilities department to ask about a job, and learned that a valued employee had just graduated. From then on, his career path was set.

"In the back of my mind, I always wanted to go back to school and be a teacher," Stage said. "I believe things happen for a reason."

For the past 14 weeks, Stage did his student teaching at Ryle High School in Union from 7:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. When school ended, he dashed back to Thomas More three days a week, where he worked the 4 p.m. to midnight shift in the facilities department.

He also worked 16 hours on weekends at Thomas More. What little time he had left was devoted to studying.

"When I finally got to student-teach, I knew I belonged in a classroom," he said. "It's been hard, but I wouldn't trade any of it.''

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com