Former All-American Attains Lifelong Goal

The name Dionne Rose is familiar to only the most diehard of Middle Tennessee followers. She is a four-time track All-American in the mid-90s. But Rose reached a milestone of sorts this month, following a long and winding road to both stardom and academic success. Rose graduated with her bachelor's degree from Middle Tennessee on December 18 almost 10 years after last competing as a Blue Raider, returning to earn a document very dear to her in many ways. "I had accomplished everything else I wanted to as an athlete, as an amateur and professional," Rose said. "But earning a degree was tops on my list personally. I would be depressed and feel very incomplete if I didn't get [the degree]." The Kingston, Jamaica native, took a long and winding road to earn her diploma in Fall Commencement ceremonies two Saturdays ago, much like her journey as a collegian before arriving at Middle Tennessee. "I ran for two years at Barton County Community College in Kansas and then for one year at Florida for [coach] Beverly Kearney," Rose said. "When Coach Kearney left Florida, I was really looking for a place to run my senior year. I was upset at her leaving. I ended up at Middle Tennessee because a friend knew Coach [Dean] Hayes and he said come on." Rose made the most of her one year as a Blue Raider, earning four All-America honors in 1994, indoors in the 55-meter hurdles and long jump and outdoors in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump. She also won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the long jump, becoming the only female national champion in school history. Her journey after the spring of 1994 was again a long one, but it included international competition and world travel for her native Jamaica, which actually started at the age of 19. Rose participated in two Olympics - 1992 in Barcelona and 1996 in Atlanta - and five world championships, valuable experiences to her now for many reasons. "I competed nine years professionally. Traveling the world and competing was a wonderful experience for me in many ways," she says. "I was able to experience different cultures, different food, different ways of life. It also exposed me to many of the nuances of the track world and the people in that world." Along the way, she married Fredrick Henley in March of 1997. But getting her degree was always at the front of Rose's mind. She left Middle Tennessee needing just two classes to graduate, and she tried to earn her degree before returning to Murfreesboro. "I spent a year at the University of Texas as a volunteer for Coach Kearney and looked into getting my degree there, but there were many complications," she said. " "First I wasn't on a student VISA anymore and I also did not have citizenship in the United States yet, so in order to return to school I had to get a student VISA. But then I got residency in this country but they told me I would have to start all over again. "When I was thinking about retiring [from competition] I called Coach Hayes and he offered me a way to come back and get my degree. I really jumped at the chance because I just had to get the degree." Rose returned to Murfreesboro in the fall of 2004, working as a student assistant for the track team and earning credits for her desired diploma. Her hard work and long journey paid off just nine days ago when she walked across the stage at Murphy Center and received her certificate from President Sidney McPhee. "That was a big day for me personally. I had been thinking about it for almost 10 years and finally I was able to receive my diploma. It was another goal in my life that I was able to accomplish." Rose's next dilemma - what to do now that she has her degree. "You know, I started thinking about that a couple of weeks ago - what to do now," she said. "I want to go into coaching and Coach Hayes wants me to stay [at Middle Tennessee] and get my master's." For now, Rose will pass along her vast knowledge of track and field to Middle Tennessee's aspiring athletes, including much-heralded senior hurdlers Linnie Yarbrough and Candice Robertson. "All of those years running professionally really gave me confidence. As a runner you cannot be timid or scared. I think a lot of times our kids look at the competition and see someone from a bigger school and think they're better than us. You have to believe in yourself because you know how hard you've worked and how much time you've put into the event." Rose also says having that confidence has to extend to all arenas - home, away and neutral. "I look at a guy like Linnie, and he really has that confidence at home, that showmanship. He knows he has the talent and has put in the work. He just has to carry that now into all of his events, no matter where he's running - in Murfreesboro, in the Sun Belt Championships or at the NCAA Championships." Rose also knows Dean Hayes can only help her desire to coach for many years into the future, and she sticks close to her former mentor and 40-year veteran of Middle Tennessee. "It's all about who you know in the coaching profession, as it is in so many areas of life," Rose says. "Coach Hayes definitely knows a lot of people, so I stick close to him so I can introduce myself whenever he meets people at meets. I want to meet a lot of people and pick their brains for more knowledge. "Coach Hayes is also good about throwing my name out their to people and letting them know I'm getting into the profession, and that's great exposure for me." Rose has a very simple message to pass along, one that can certainly be applied across the board, not just to track and field. "Be confident in yourself and believe in yourself. Those are things that really got me through a lot as an athlete," she says. "And I always try to tell our athletes that great things come from small schools" Great things certainly have come from a small town in Jamaica, and for the many who know Dionne Rose-Henley, the expectations are that great things will certainly continue to come from another Middle Tennessee graduate.

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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