–Amanda Fornecker

Determination and setting an example were very important in contributing to Teresita Lee's successful completion of her Bachelor of Science degree in Management at the University of Phoenix. The 70–year–old great–grandmother recently donned a cap and gown at a graduation ceremony in Austin, Texas, according to a recent Career College Central article.

Even as a girl, Lee was always smart – so smart, in fact, that she skipped two grades in elementary school. When it came time for college, her father held her back claiming she was too young to be away from home. And, at the age of 15, her studies quickly came to a halt, even after she was named valedictorian of her high school class.

Says Lee in the article:

The only reason I did this is to leave my grandchildren and great–grandchildren an inspiration, said Lee, who lives in San Antonio. It's not good to quit. Just keep going until you get there.

I think we can come away with a lot of lessons from Lee's example. We can see she was always a good student and was forced to make a decision based on the fact that she was just a child at the time. But she finally came to a point where she realized she wanted that education and she wasn't scared to go after it. There really are so many opportunities when it comes to education for nontraditional students, no matter what age. If you've even been having the slightest thoughts about going back to school, know that you are not alone.

Although Lee wanted to inspire her family, she ultimately made the decision for herself. It was through studying and keeping her eye on the prize that she was able to complete what she had longed to do for so long. No one should give up on their dreams and that's what Lee's example shows us. Even at 70 years old, you can still achieve what's important to you and be successful.



I really like this story. I know of yet another grandmother who was similarly inspiring to a great many people. It was the mother of one of my teachers who emigrated from Russia. She dedicated her life to educating her very gifted children and succeeded at it with flying colors. Her two daughters were accomplished musicians who graduated from top conservatories in the United States. But their mother also had a dream – to graduate from college. Her English was not great, but her will and intelligence were. She enrolled in the college where one of her daughters was a professor and took to studying. She didn't mind being in the same classroom with kids.

She went through the entire undergraduate program and earned her degree. Before graduation, she fell ill. It turned out it was cancer and she went to the hospital for an extended period of time. It seemed that she wouldn't be coming home. So, one day, the dean of the university together with a couple of her professors came to the hospital and presented her with her diploma. Her eyes filled with tears, her life's dream was fulfilled. She dies very peacefully shortly after that.

Her legacy was the inspiration not only for her family, but for anyone who heard of her, including me. She proved that there are no limits to what a person can achieve, if he or she only puts his or her mind to it.