For the next 12years he worked whenever he could and went to school whenever he could he managed to finish high school and won a scholarship to go to Highland University however when he appeared at the university they refused to admit him because he was black this did not stop carved he continued to work and save money Eventually he went to Simpson college in 1890 to study painting and paid for his school by ironing clothes for other students soon he he realized he could not support himself as an artist and decided to study agriculture instead