Partially paralyzed senior to graduate with four-legged constant companion

LAWRENCE -- Adam Burnett grew up knowing he wanted to be a police officer and part of a canine team. Although a diving accident prevented him from realizing the first half of his dream, he and another kind of canine partner will participate in this year's commencement ceremony at the University of Kansas on May 19.

Burnett, a Melvern senior who will graduate on Sunday with a bachelor's degree in atmospheric science, will head down the hill in a wheelchair with his constant companion, Lorax. The yellow Labrador retriever has attended six years of college classes with her human partner, helping perform tasks that the partially paralyzed Burnett otherwise would find difficult.

"She's with me all the time," Burnett said. "Who wouldn't want a dog to pal around with? The fact that she helps me out is just another added bonus."

Burnett was injured in a diving accident just two days after his high school graduation in 1994. After months of rehabilitation, Burnett began taking classes at Emporia State University and enrolled full time in the fall of 1995.

After three years in Emporia and some soul-searching, Burnett moved to Lawrence to attend classes at KU. Although Burnett changed his major several times, he never lost his resolve to finish school.

"My career interests had to totally change," he said. "I had wanted to be a police officer. I had scholarships out of state. When I started college I had no idea what I wanted to do because I had had things so planned out. It took me a few years to figure out what I wanted to do."

Lorax joined Burnett in 1996, during his second year of college. Although she has been a great help for Burnett, he also had to learn to rely on other people and plan his schedule around daily tasks that most people take for granted.

College for Burnett was a greater challenge simply because life was more difficult.

"I couldn't pull an all-nighter anymore," he said. "I had to have people help me get in and out of bed. Just the physical aspect of getting to class and doing homework took a lot longer. It all took a little more time and effort."

But Burnett learned to be successful in college and served last year as a resident assistant at Templin Hall. There, Lorax performed her duties as a service dog and became a mascot for the entire floor.

Now, after six years together, Burnett and Lorax will make one final journey down the hill.

"Anytime somebody goes through an injury like this, it puts a lot in perspective," Burnett said. "But I'm like anybody else going through college. Everybody has had their struggles. Mine are just a little different.

"You can work through anything if you put your mind to it. That would be the moral of the story: Don't give up."

Burnett can be reached at (785) 812-1016. Parents are Mr. and Mrs. Larry Burnett, 201 S.W. Lincoln, Melvern, KS 66510, Osage County, (785) 549-3460.