Owen Recio Achieves Goal of Standing and Walking to Receive TCTC Diploma
Press Release
Date: May 19, 2025
Contact: lgarrett@tctc.edu
Owen Recio Achieves Goal of Standing and Walking to Receive TCTC Diploma
PENDLETON --- Owen Recio and his family were told there was a 99.9% chance he would never be able to walk again following an accident in 2022 that damaged his spine and left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Recio refused to accept that fate. “My initial response was, ‘This isn’t permanent. I will find a way to walk again.’”
Early on in his first semester at Tri-County Technical College, Recio decided it was his goal to stand and walk to receive his diploma.
Two years later, at TCTC’s spring commencement, seated in his wheelchair, Recio began the ascent up the ramp to receive his degree from TCTC President Galen DeHay.
As he approached Dr. DeHay, Recio stood up from his wheelchair, took hold of his walker, walked a few steps, shook hands and accepted his diploma in Network Systems Management.
The audience celebrated Recio with a standing ovation.
“The audience’s response made me feel like all my struggles and mental warfare that held me back initially were gone. The crowd’s response was a good reminder that you can achieve your goals.” His college graduation was his first time to stand and walk in public.
The 22-year-old Piedmont resident graduated from Wren High School in 2021 and entered Clemson University to major in computer science.
In January of 2022, while out “horsing around with friends, carrying a buddy on my shoulders,” he fell and broke his back resulting in paralysis from the waist down.
He had surgery to realign his spine, which was successful, but not restorative, he said.
He was taken to Prisma Health’s Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital in Greenville where he received months of in-patient rehabilitation for the spinal cord injury.
One year after the accident, he enrolled at TCTC to continue studying computer science.
“TCTC was very accessible and the instructors were great. Everyone wanted to see me succeed and that helped to motivate me to graduate,” said Recio.
He never doubted he would graduate; he just wasn’t sure when.
“I didn’t know how long it would take me,” he said.
Within two years he earned his degree. “I’m proud of myself and I was happy to share this with my family and the people I love,” he said.
He made major progress at Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital and about six months ago began to take small steps. “The feeling has returned about 50%,” he said, “and is coming back in bits over time.”
He first began to regain some feeling in his leg followed by motor return. It gave him the motivation to forge ahead. “When I got home from rehab, I knew it was all on me to see progression in walking and with motor return,” he said. “I still can’t move my feet to this day and my left leg is slow on motor return. My right leg is completely numb and was fitted with an AFO, or ankle foot orthosis, which lifts my right foot to become mobile,” he said.
AFOs are external biomechanical devices utilized on lower limbs to stabilize the joints, improve the gait and physical functioning of the affected lower limb.
An AFO is commonly used in people who have experienced strokes, multiple sclerosis, and incomplete spinal cord injury to assist the ankle and allow the foot to clear the ground during the swing phase of walking. AFOs can be used in addition to crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair. They are specially designed for each patient.
Recio’s left leg is fitted with a KFO, or knee foot orthosis, and he uses a full leg brace from the hip down. A KFO allows someone living with paralysis to stabilize the knee and ankle. While it’s hard work, people using KFO’s can take steps by swinging their legs while supported by forearm crutches.
Recio’s left leg also uses an Ottobock C-brace, which is a full leg brace with a computer chip with a hydraulic press to control the knee function.
“It’s so rewarding, after months of dedication, to get my degree and to walk across the stage and make plans for the future,” he said.
“At TCTC I felt welcomed. The instructors, the students and the resources are all inclusive. I was at a place I needed to be to succeed.”
TCTC Computer Information Technology instructor Eric Clark admires Recio’s resilience and positive attitude. “Owen never let his physical situation be the focus. Instead, he was dedicated to the work and to being successful. When I saw him stand at graduation, it touched me. I said, now that’s strength and I applaud that.”
Franklin Williams, a public speaking instructor at TCTC, who taught Recio in the fall of 2023, got to know Recio’s story during the class’s first introductory speech. “Owen was one of my best students, engaged and always giving thoughtful answers,” said Williams.
“He is as determined as anyone I’ve seen in my two-and-one-half years of teaching at TCTC. We’ve kept in touch since the public speaking class, and we would have conversations about his progression. But I had no idea he would walk at graduation. I was as shocked as the audience when he stood to receive his degree. I was able to see him after the recessional and give him a congratulatory fist bump and say good job. Owen will be one of our most memorable graduates because of his positive message about not giving up. Looking back, he made a lasting impact on all of us.”
About Tri-County Technical College
Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, industrial electronics, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.
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