STL-native Kelly Henton blazes an academic trail
By Kenya Vaughn
Of the St. Louis American
“Education is all about change,” said Dr. James Kimmey, commencement speaker for the University of Missouri-St. Louis Fall 2006 graduating class and president of the Missouri Foundation for Health.
For Kelly Henton, the first graduate to receive UM-St. Louis’ newly recognized BA in theatre from the Theatre, Dance and Media Studies Department, change has been the only constant for the past year.
There was an understated joy on his face as he walked across the stage. He didn’t turn flips or dance a jig. There was just a smile and a mouthing of the word yes. It was by no means obvious that he had been through hell and (literally) high water to get his degree.
Henton is a Hurricane Katrina evacuee. Even though he lost everything in the flood – his home, his worldly possessions and a year of school – Henton considers himself lucky.
“Fortunately for me, I didn’t have anything symbolic in New Orleans,” Henton said. “But I have many friends down there who lost everything, and their families lost everything too.” A year and a half after the storm, there are still friends he has been unable to contact.
Although Henton is a native of St. Louis, he was pursuing his BA in theatre at Dillard University in New Orleans and was on the fast track to graduation. After the hurricane, he didn’t have to start from scratch but he had to fulfill 30 credit hours of UM-St. Louis required course work, which took him an extra year.
“My family isn’t in poverty, but they are definitely not rich,” said Henton.
“They were not prepared for the added expenses of me moving back home. And I didn’t have anything but the $200 I initially received from the Red Cross and eventually my FEMA money.”
Henton quickly took advantage of the opportunities made available to him at UMSL.
“Kelly very quickly became a leader in the theatre department,” said Niyi Coker, E. Desmond Lee Professor of Theatre, Dance and Media Studies for UM-St. Louis.
“He is a hard working, tenacious and dedicated artist who came in and didn’t waste any time in getting his degree.”
Henton said that Coker and Sharon Clark “did everything humanly possible to make sure that I graduated. Without them, I don’t think that I would have made it.”
He has been accepted into UCLA’s prestigious Master of Fine Arts in Acting program. “It is exceptional that the inaugural student is headed off to one of the top graduate programs in the country,” Coker said. “It gives the students something to aspire towards.”
Henton said, “I want to go out and make a name for UMSL and pave the way for others.”
Coker feels like Henton is the ideal man to carry the legacy of the UMSL theatre program.
“I am glad that many of our current students were able to know him – he was there to raise the bar,” said Coker.
“Students like Kelly make you recall why you got into teaching in the first place.”
