It's never too late to get college degree

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by Sarah Yerkey
on Tuesday, May 26, 2009

If you're a mature worker trying to decide whether it's worthwhile for you to earn that college degree you've always wanted; you'll get plenty of encouragement, not only from me and other job experts, but form your peers who have taken the leap.

"I went back to college for three years and got my bachelor's degree in 1989 when I was 46 years old," said Della F. Richardson, adult student coordinator of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.

"At first, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to compete with those smart just-out-of-school kids. But not only could I compete, I could do better than they could! I had years of life experience to relate to what I was learning in the textbooks. My degree was the best investment I have ever made."

It's also the reason she has her present job. "It opened doors for me that I would never have been able to enter," Richardson said. "Four years ago, my alma mater hired me to work with their re-entry students. Isn't this a great way to make a living?"

It sure is. And having a bachelor's degree makes a big difference in career opportunities. No matter your age.

"I worked as a registered nurse from 1946 to 1986," said Helen Peele of Park Forest, Ill., who today is a part-time therapist in substance abuse and family-related issues. "In 1981, I was graduated from college with a bachelor's of science degree. In 1998, I completed my master's program in counseling - at age 72. I will be 79 in December and am still learning through seminars and workshops. It is truly never too late!"

Shelley Bresler admits that she "hesitated returning to school for years, thinking I was too old. But finally dared a friend to go back to school with me, and we both plunged in. I was 46 years old. This time around, I took classes that really interested me and enrolled full time in a teacher education program. After teaching for a few years, I was offered a new job, in a new direction, that turned out to be my dream job."

Bresler's dream job is her present one: a sales representative for World Book, Inc. in Tucson, Ariz. "At age 55, I am doing something I absolutely love, that pays me better than any job I have ever had, and I still have time to spend with my grandkids!" she said.

Homer Johnson, a professor in the school of business administration at Loyola University Chicago, strongly believes in getting a college degree. Here's a story he tells when counseling mature students:

"A woman said her dream in life since early childhood was to be a veterinarian," Johnson related. "She had taken some pre-vet college courses, but family problems forced her to drop out. She's now 40 years old and in a position to pursuer her dream, but she's worried it will take her six years to get her degree and by then she will be 46."

Johnson said her career counselor asked her how old she would be in six years if she did not go back to school and pursue her dream. The woman said 46 - and the coach replied, "That's the same age you would be if you did go back to school isn't it? So the question is whether you want to be 46 and a vet or 46 and unhappy that you did not pursue your dream."

And Johnson reported: "She went back to school!"

Source: Sunday, Nov. 28, 2004 / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution