Clayton State University grad symbolizes deft courage

What do you do when adversity strikes?

Ask Clayton State University student Zac Bradley or his fellow students. Bradley has symbolized strength in the face of a dire challenge for the past three years. Earlier this month, he served as commencement speaker for the university's fall Commencement.

Bradley was a college student with a promising basketball future in May 2011 when his life was irrevocably altered. He was leaving campus during a thunderstorm when a tree fell on his car, trapping him. He underwent multiple surgeries on brain, neck and spinal cord. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down and put him in a wheelchair but it didn't break his determination. The Riverdale native returned to Clayton State to continue pursuing his degree in Health and Fitness Management.  In the past three years, he has become one of the most visible people on campus, serving as a Laker Orientation Leader, member of Student African American Brotherhood, and secretary of the Golden Key International Honor Society. In the community, he is a volunteer mentor at the Shepherd Center and is also a wheelchair rugby player of some renown. After giving his commencement speak,  Bradley graduated magna cum laude with his bachelor of science degree to a standing ovation in the Athletics Center where he once played for the university basketball team, The Lakers.