Omar Lira is grateful to be where he is. When he isn’t in class, studying civil engineering and construction management, he is often elsewhere on CBU’s campus—at mass or engaged in a student activity, cooking for his suitemates, or taking his sunflowers out for a daily dose of sunshine. 

As a 34-year-old first-time student at CBU, Omar isn’t a “typical” freshman, but you would be hard pressed to find a student more excited to be a Buc and appreciative for the opportunities available to him.

Fifteen years ago, Omar was in his senior year at Wooddale High School when he dropped out to take care of his newborn son, Isaiah. He worked in construction, like his father, and sought out ways to advance financially and careerwise. 

Omar passed the GED and earned a diploma in construction and building maintenance at Remington College—an effort that resulted in $2 more per paycheck. He was halfway through an associate’s degree at Remington when a friend encouraged him to consider CBU’s engineering program. By this time, Isaiah was a teenager and enrolled in military school, so Omar had more flexibility in how he spent his days.

“When I came to check out the campus, I loved the sense of community,” Omar said. That was one of the biggest things that got me here. I don’t want to just be a number. I want to be helped and assisted. I want to be loved and cared for as part of a community.” 

Omar applied and was accepted to CBU for the 2025 spring semester. Things were falling into place, but just a few weeks before the start of school, a horrific car vs. motorcycle accident threatened to snatch the opportunity away.

“I was on my motorcycle,” said Omar. “The lady didn’t see me and knocked me off. I remember waking up in the hospital. I had a broken hand and a brain injury. I had landed on my knee cap, and it basically exploded. They said they could maybe put a rod in my leg, but the muscle was so damaged. Based on what I learned, I told them, ‘From what I know so far, I would like you to remove it.”’

Surgeons amputated Omar’s right leg from the knee down, a major surgery that takes months of recovery time. He had a lot on his mind, but near the top was school. He feared this catastrophic injury would delay, or even prevent him, from attending CBU. As soon as he was able, he placed a call to CBU admissions from his bed at Regional One Health. 

On the other end of the line was “Ms. Gail,” a.k.a. Admissions Counselor Gail Cotton, a servant leader known for how she goes out of her way to help students. 

“Ms. Gail dropped everything and came to the hospital,” said Omar. “She put everything on pause, and I felt the care, love, and compassion from her. She was someone I had never met, and she gave me the Good Samaritan vibe.”

Cotton arrived with balloons and CBU swag. She reassured Omar that he was still going to be able to pursue a degree at CBU and shared information about services the university would provide to ensure his success.

His start delayed by just one semester, Omar is a recognizable figure on campus because of the rolled up pant leg and crutches but, even more so, because of the big, infectious smile on his face. Things haven’t always gone his way, but at CBU Omar has found something he’s pursued for a long time—community. 

“As someone who has lived in Memphis for 27 years, I’ve found, a lot of the time, you don’t find that sense of community in the city,” said Omar. “So, it surprised me to find community at CBU. Who would have thought? I thought maybe it no longer existed. Finding it here gives me hope.”

On Sept. 9, 2025, Omar is scheduled to have the final fitting for his prosthetic leg. If all goes according to plan, he intends to try out for the track team next year. What many would consider a burden, he views as a blessing.

“I could be dead,” he said. “The accident taught me to slow down; it taught me patience, self care, optimism, and resilience. Maybe I would not have learned those things without the accident. … For once in my life, I have options.”