Bruce Sommers was determined to finish his degree, but, darn it, success just kept getting in his way. Sommers started his collegiate career in 1967 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, but left as a junior to work for R.J. Reynolds. There, business travel and promotions soon overwhelmed education, and his pursuit was put on hold. In 1987, though, Sommers had a change of many hearts. He quit smoking, quit Reynolds and landed a job in Cincinnati. By 1995 —at age 49—he decided to get that ever elusive diploma. His persistence finally paid off in 1999—a mere 32 years from when he started—with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. Now Sommers, vice president of sales and marketing for Cincinnati’s Berman Printing Co., is eyeing graduate school. But that, of course, is a long-term goal.