Angeline Day earned her college degree at the age of 79, proving that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams!
Last week, Day realized her lifelong dream when she crossed the stage at the Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts stage and earned her college diploma at Troy University Montgomery Campus in Alabama. “I don’t give myself any expiration dates on anything,” she said.
While for some retirement might mean more leisure time, Day took a different approach after retiring from working at JCPenney. “It was always something that I wanted to do. However, I made different decisions that took me elsewhere out in the world. I’ve done everything in life, but do me,” said the newly minted graduate.
This has been a goal, over 50 years in the making. After graduating from high school, Day enrolled and was taking classes at Alabama State University, with hopes of earning a degree in psychology. After being unable to continue to afford tuition though, it became a dream deferred.
Day is not alone—according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, there are more than 40 million people in the United States who have some college credits, but have not received their degree.
Four years ago, with the help of her sons, Day was able to begin working to working anew toward this lifelong accomplishment. Day recalled how her son said, “Well, mom, I’m not going to give you a Christmas present. I’m not going to give you a birthday present, so how about I send you back to school?”
Since the financial crisis in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of “mature students” enrolling or re-enrolling in higher education. “The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects there will be 9,670,000 mature students enrolled in higher education by 2025. Said another way, 42% of the total student body attending post high school institutions are older and considered non-traditional.”
Day’s accomplishment becomes even more remarkable considering she was a 100% online student in her 70s. It wasn’t an easy feat for someone that “very little computer experience until about four years ago.”
“I was very intimidated,” said Day. “I didn’t have a life at all. I was tunnel-focused on it. That was all I did. I would forget to eat, forget to cook because that was all I did. I would go back to the computer until pure exhaustion put me to bed, and then I would get up, do a little something and get back on it. Three and a half years, here I am.”
Even though there were moments of doubt, Day persevered and never gave up. “After I read my assignments and saw what I needed to do on the computer, I went ‘Oh Lord, I cannot do this.’ I promptly emailed my professor and told them I was just going to leave it. I was contacted by my psychology professor, and I just decided to get up, get a little strength in my backbone and just go for it,” Day told Troy Today. “There is no such thing as quitting.”
“I never thought I would see this day, and it is wonderful for me,” Day proudly stated. As much as it’s possible, her son Thomas is even prouder. “I’m just looking at my mom and seeing the change in her over the past three to four years from when she started…Looking at her now, she is just so sharp. It is just so amazing. I always knew she had it in her. We were the pushers. My brother and I helped get her back into school. When it gets hard, we motivate each other, and iron sharpens iron. It has been great to witness.”
After the ceremony, Thomas told his mother, “You got it; you achieved this lifelong goal and that’s remarkable.”
“Never give up on your dream. I don’t care what’s going on in your world – if you can’t do it now, do it later. Do it now because it will be well worth it. It is very, very fulfilling,” Day says. “I feel better about myself. I’m fulfilled. I’ve accomplished more, and it is really a great feeling. I have learned more and the one thing about knowledge, it does build upon itself. That can be very, very exciting, especially for those who are my age who thought they had already lived their best lives. There is so much more ahead.”