'Closed door' leads man to right path

Joshua Littleton, 32, inspired his peers to never give up and to look for the “open doors” when giving the student commencement speech Thursday during Florence-Darlington Technical College’s 44th Commencement at Florence Civic Center.

Littleton told his peers about his life and how trying to save a patient ultimately ended his career as a paramedic in Richland County.

He is a native of Whitmore, a town in Newberry County. After graduating from Whitmore High School in 1993, Littleton enrolled at Lander University to major in computer science. After a few semesters, Littleton was unable to pay for college, so he enlisted in the Air Force in 1996.

Littleton said he joined the military to pay for college and to have the opportunity to travel. He applied to be a paramedic for the Air Force, but after finding out he was “severely” color blind, he received a medical discharge after serving only two weeks.

Despite having been discharged from the Air Force, Littleton was determined to live out his dream of becoming a paramedic.

“Not many people find their dream job in life,” Littleton said. “I was very fortunate to have found mine. I really wanted to be a paramedic.”

Littleton went to work as a programmer before getting the job as a paramedic in Richland County.

When helping a patient who had taken cocaine, Littleton said, the patient ran outside of his apartment and knocked him off a balcony. Littleton fell from the second floor, injuring his spine.

Six spinal surgeries later, Littleton still had the determination to continue, despite having to give up his dream job.

He enrolled at Florence-Darlington to finish his postsecondary educational career in computer technology.

“When one door closes, another one opens, but we spend so much time mourning the one that closes that we rarely see the one that opens,” Littleton said, quoting Helen Keller. “I’m trying to convey the message that we don’t always agree with God’s exit strategy, but when it happens, we need to look for the doors that opens for us.

“I just wish everyone well, and I hope that no one ever gets into the situation I was in,” he said, “but if they do, just remember to look for other doors because there’s no telling where it will lead them to.”

For the past year, Littleton has worked with the college’s Online College and Web services as a programmer through work study.

Littleton said he has been programming since he was 8, having written his first program on a TRS-80 computer. His first program was written to make a ball bounce from one side to the other.

Littleton, who received an associate degree in computer technology with an emphasis in programming Thursday, was one of 400 students to receive a degree.
He said he has applied for several positions and hopes to land a job as a Web programmer/designer or software programmer.

Johnnie Miller, a computer programming technology instructor, nominated Littleton to be the speaker, having heard his story.

Miller said she thought Littleton would be an inspiration not only to fellow graduates, but to all who attended the event.

“He’s such an outstanding student in his effort (in the classroom) and his attitude (toward life),” Miller said. “He’s just a special person. He could be negative, but he chose to turn (his situation into a positive one).”

The commencement ceremony also included a speech from Dillon School District 3 Superintendent Dr. John Kirby.