When Terrance Barker walked into his first law school class in the fall of 2000, nothing in his wildest nightmares could have prepared him for what he would be forced to face in order to earn a law degree. After an auto accident left Barker a quadriplegic, he was presented with ordeals that would have stifled the aspirations of the average aspiring jurist. But Barker is far from average.

On May 21, three years after the tragedy on Lake Shore Drive nearly dashed any likelihood of a legal career, Barker will be awarded a juris doctorate degree from the DePaul College of Law. The commencement ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Barker, who attended John Marshall for his first year of law school before transferring to DePaul, was well on his way to reaching his goal of becoming a lawyer when life changed the script in January 2003. Barker was a passenger in a car headed down Lake Shore Drive on a winter night when a sleepy driver and a guardrail collided and left destruction in their wake. It is a night Barker will never forget.

“I was a bodily injury assessor for accidents at State Farm Insurance when the accident happened,” said the 30-year-old Barker. “I had seen and heard of many scenarios and then I found myself on the other side of one. But I didn’t want this accident to defeat me. I put a good deal of energy and time into getting into law school, so if I had an opportunity to complete it, how could I say no?”

Barker was only 29 hours shy of earning his degree when the accident occurred. With the help of his family and friends, and a law school that eagerly welcomed him back and accommodated his disability, Barker did not have to abandon his dream of a legal career.

But before Barker could even consider continuing his studies, he had to overcome the trauma that accompanied his devastating injuries. He spent two months in a hospital followed by a stay at a nursing home where he was weaned from using a ventilator. He then went to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for three months. And during his grueling physical recovery, Barker also had to deal with the death of his grandfather and watch his mother do battle with a bout of cancer. But once Barker was better able to manage his physical disability, he took on the next challenge—completing law school.

“My uncle comes downtown with me on school days and stays with me in class,” said Barker, who moved from his Hyde Park apartment to his mother’s home in Country Club Hills after the accident. “I started by taking one class and worked my way up to three classes a semester. My in-class exams were taken in a separate room where my answers were dictated to a stenographer. The law school also provided me with a laptop so I could work at home.”

Barker, who also will earn a certificate in public interest law at the commencement, hopes to have the confidence to practice law with the same passion that he had before the accident. He wants to land a job where he can make a difference and become a valued member of a legal team.

His accomplishments embody what can be attained when you stare into the eye of adversity and dare to rise above it. His also is a story of how no trial is too great to keep a goal out of reach when a person has commitment and determination.

“You have to remember that you can’t always do things alone and that you can’t be afraid to ask for help,” said Barker in recalling the arduous journey that has brought him within spitting distance of his objective. “God has gotten me through this day by day. Even when it didn’t look possible, He made a way. And, the way my family and friends have toiled to help me get through this shows the power of unconditional love.”

When Barker is awarded his law degree there will be more than the 60 expected family members and friends in the audience cheering his achievements. It will be a triumph for all those who have had the pleasure of teaching, learning with or meeting Barker.

“Terrance is an extraordinary young man who has defied the odds to earn this honor,” said Diana White, dean of students at the College of Law. “He put forth a remarkable effort and we all celebrate in what he has been able to achieve.”