Less than a month after Mike Bradshaw was promoted to head the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the veteran business manager and educator faced what he says has been the biggest struggle of his life.

At age 69, Bradshaw was diagnosed with throat cancer.

After 35 days of radiation treatment and remote work this summer and fall, Bradshaw returned to his office in early November and was welcomed back with a whiteboard of appreciative notes from students messages.

“You’re one of the best professors I’ve ever had,” one student wrote. Bradshaw says such encouragement and the thrill of helping students build their careers keeps him going.

“Being around young people and watching them learn and grow is really exciting and keeps me young,” he says.