時事英語 Current Events Course at Matsusho College 2022 summer: Story 4
“I succeeded”: Woman, 84, fulfills dream of graduating from college in Minnesota
Betty Sandison is 84 years old. She graduated high school back in 1955. Right after, she began taking college classes at the University of Minnesota. However, she soon stopped school to start a family.
This past May, Sandison finished what she started. She finally earned her four-year college degree. It is also known as a bachelor’s degree.
Sandison said it was a dream she fulfilled.
In the 1950s, Sandison worked in a cafe to make $600. Back then, that was what one year of school cost.
Returning To Finish What She Started
Sandison first earned a one-year nursing certificate. She then took courses to get a teaching degree. It would have led her to earn her bachelor’s degree. She changed her mind about teaching, though.
Soon the young Sandison met her husband. They got married and had two children. She paused her education to raise her family.
In 1979, the couple got divorced. Sandison returned to school. She earned an associate’s degree. An associate’s degree is usually two years of college. It allowed her to become a registered nurse. She practiced nursing for 30 years.
In 2018, Sandison retired. That’s when she decided to finish her bachelor’s degree. Her studies would take place at the same university she began her college career.
“I always had this in the back of my head that I wanted to get a degree from the University of Minnesota,” Sandison said.
Age Gap Was Never A Problem
There was a large age gap between Sandison and most other students. But Sandison said “I always felt like I fit in. Never felt like an outsider, they always included me.”
Classes went online in 2020. That was at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Sandison decided to take that year off. Aside from that, she said “I never missed a class in the four years I’ve been going back.”
What was her hardest course? Sandison said it was a history class from 1945 to present day.
“I thought, ‘Oh, that’ll be easy. I’ve been alive the whole time’ … [But] there was so much that I didn’t know had happened in my lifetime,” she said.
A Love For Learning
Sandison received her bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies. She hopes to continue her education journey. If possible, she plans to audit classes in the future. Auditing is when you sit in on a class. However you do not get graded or earn credits.
Sandison is motivated by her love for learning. She supports people of all ages to meet their goals and keep learning, too.
She said, “If it means getting a diploma from high school, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s like I did, whatever. If nothing else, audit classes. Keep that brain engaged in what your world is doing around you.”
For Educational purposes.
By USA TODAY, adapted by Newsela staff
Published:06/23/2022