“It was a gorgeous fall night,” he recalled. “I was on my way to class when the accident happened. On a night like that I would have normally taken my motorcycle, but my car was looking so slick, I took that.”

The collision shattered his femur and left him with a traumatic brain injury. “Had I been on my motorcycle I’d have been crippled or left for dead,” he said. “I’ve had a blessed life. I’ve made a few wrong turns, but I’ve come out well. The Fates in their infinite wisdom haven’t saved me so I can suck up air and use up limited resources. I’m supposed to help people overcome their adversities. That’s a good purpose. My life has meaning. All those adversities I’ve had to overcome have had a purpose.”

In nominating Thibodeau for the graduate award, faculty members saluted his resilience and his commitment to continuing his studies, despite the challenges created by the accident – including delaying his graduation by a full year.

Thibodeau now works as a counselor for the Montachusett Opportunity Council and looks forward to getting his own license to practice on his own. “I have a certain level of empathy and experience that help me to be a better observer and a better counselor,” he said. “My job as a counselor is not to fix people. I like to say I’m doing God’s work, not God’s job. It’s exactly what I hoped for.”

Thibodeau will address his fellow graduates when the university's in-person ceremony is scheduled.

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