Husband and wife Lincoln students earn much-anticipated degrees

Nicole Lee, left, poses for a picture Saturday with her husband Raymond Lee during commencement ceremonies held at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
Nicole Lee, left, poses for a picture Saturday with her husband Raymond Lee during commencement ceremonies held at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

Raymond and Nicole Lee have become a fixture of the Lincoln University Blue Tiger marching band.

Their off-campus home has been a place for students to find a home-cooked meal or a listening ear.

Their presence at rehearsals and performances has served both as role model and encouragement to younger students.

Both non-traditional students, Raymond and Nicole were awarded their degrees Saturday during ceremonies on the Jefferson City campus, overcoming obstacles in life and turning negatives into positives, they agreed.

The St. Louis couple married right out of high school, starting their family with a newborn and a toddler. After graduating from now-closed Beaumont High School, Raymond went straight to the workforce to support his family.

However, his childhood goal had been to go to college. So two years later, his high school band director connected him with Lincoln, where he began in 2004 with a band scholarship.

He moved Nicole and their family to Jefferson City the following year.

The Lees met through their high school music program, and their band director had a strong influence in their relationship, as well as their educational perseverance, they agreed.

Now, the couple is passing it on.

"I think it's natural; people look up to us," he said. "We can be an outlet for some students off campus - a home-cooked meal, advice, a place to stay, someone to listen or a place to store their belongings."

Nicole added, "We love people."

Their love of people and need to serve are born in their faith.

Raymond is co-pastor at One In Christ Baptist Church; he was ordained last year.

"What I desire to do is serve people," Raymond said.

Their children are the same way, they said.

"There's nothing more satisfying than seeing the look on someone's face when you do something for them they couldn't do for themselves," Nicole said. "It's nothing to boast about; it's just a feeling inside."

This spring, the Lees were involved in water collection for Flint, Michigan, both at their church and on campus.

"Ministry is full time for the whole family," Raymond said.

From their own life lessons, the Lees tell others, "Don't do things you'll regret. Everything you go through is an experience to learn from," Nicole said.

"Our slogan has been: 'Finish what you start,'" she said.

Raymond has been pursuing this degree for 12 years.

Borrowing from an inspirational speaker, Raymond said, "Don't count me out just because it doesn't look like I can't succeed today."

Even after setbacks, Raymond said he would find ways to motivate himself to keep going.

"A minor setback can set you up for a major comeback," he said. "We're living examples."

Nicole agreed, "You don't fail until you stop."

She was told by teachers she should drop out of high school, she said. She didn't. Instead, she began her pursuit of a degree in 2008.

The couple agreed their greatest motivation came through their children - Patrick Taunes, 19; Raymond Jr., 13, and Elijah, 9.

"I had to stand up and say, 'I'm going to do better for them,'" Nicole said.

Their son Patrick also is a student at Lincoln. Raymond said his goal was to graduate before he did.

"It's one thing to tell your kids something, and it's another to show them the right path," Nicole said. "We want our kids to go farther than us."

They have learned the value of learning from their failures, the Lees agreed.

Unlike the traditional student who attends eight consecutive semesters immediately following high school graduation, the Lees have taken semesters off to earn extra income or to care for their children's needs.

"In the end, we finished strong," Raymond said. "It tells a story; life happened. I've gained so much in the 12 years it has taken me."

Similarly, Nicole said, "I don't regret the time it has taken me to graduate."

However, the graduation achievement itself is momentous.

"I feel so much better about myself because I've done that," Nicole said.

Both earned bachelor of liberal studies degrees - Nicole's with emphasis in psychology, sociology and social work and Raymond's with emphasis in music and education.

Jefferson City is home now for the Lees. And Raymond will continue to be on the Lincoln campus as he pursues a master's degree in Lincoln's new Historically Black Colleges and Universities higher education program.

"Lincoln is like a family," Nicole said. "You can meet people here and be friends. At our school in St. Louis, it felt like I was in a foreign country.

"Being on this campus, it embraces you."

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