Kaitlin Barnett
Copy Editor
Clifford Hopkins, a non-traditional student at Crowder, has led a very interesting life. Dabbling in the arts with piano, singing, writing, and painting, it seems Hopkins has never had a dull moment. However, the arts aren’t the only thing he’s dipped his toes in.
Clifford Hopkins has quite literally dipped his toes in many seas during all of his travels over the years. He has travelled to many countries in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, as well as visited Mexico several times. He’s lived in countries such as Turkey, Mexico, France and England, to name a few. Hopkins has travelled all over the world, visiting around thirty countries and living in fifteen of them, his favorite being France.
Whether by bike, running, or hitchhiking, Hopkins has covered nearly every inch of France over the years. While visiting other countries, his budget was often that of $15 a day, with roughly half of that going towards renting a spot on a campsite to pitch his tent.
“I’ve hitchhiked all over Europe,” said Hopkins about his adventures. He talked about how grateful he was to meet so many interesting and kind people during his hitchhiking travels, most of which were women with children whose trust in him never wavered. “You would never see that here in the United States. I would never dream of hitchhiking here.”
Hopkins said that many who would pick him up would offer him a spot in their homes, occasionally even trusting him enough to gift him a key and allow him to stay for extended periods of time. He also said he never experienced any unsavory situations
that made him feel uncomfortable whilst hitchhiking, and that it was an “amazing experience.”
Hopkins often ran to get where he needed as well. He has logged over 60,000 miles running throughout the years and once trained for two and a half years to run in the 1978 Boston Marathon. This is a special memory for him, as it marks him making a complete lifestyle turnaround.
Though he cannot speak them fluently, Hopkins can navigate his way through several languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian. Hopkins has a bachelor’s degree in French with a minor in German as well as 
another bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
While spending a few years in Korea, Hopkins spent his time as a journalist, radio DJ and hosted his own TV show. He has filled many reporter positions throughout the years all over the world.
Hopkins has also been to nearly every state in the United States, excluding Alaska. He’s lived in roughly 15 states. At age 50 he began studying piano in New York for six hours a day, preforming in many recitals. In 2000 he started taking singing lessons and began singing in recitals and operas.
He also enjoys painting. At home, Hopkins can be found with several books around him that he studies. His reason for studying so often is because he realized 
the more he learns, the more he sees how little he knows. “I know a little about a lot, but not a lot about a little.”
Hopkins moved to the Neosho area to be near the Veterans Affairs facilities, as he is an Army veteran. He is currently taking a course over directing at Crowder, where he is sharpening his skills on writing and directing plays.
Theatre Director Natasha Davies has been working with Hopkins during his time on campus, and says, “Cliff Hopkins has constructed a unique piece of historical fiction. He has compiled an interesting cast of characters and the piece will be an interesting venture.”
A true testament to Hopkins’ life is his high school nickname, “Lucky”. “I don’t know why that was my nickname, but it stuck. I’ve been very lucky throughout my life, and try to be gracious for my experiences.”
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