Age is not a hindrance: 90-year-old American graduated from university 71 years after admission - ForumDaily
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Age is no barrier: 90-year-old American graduated from university 71 years after admission

The 90-year-old finally took the stage and received her diploma 71 years after she first entered college. CNN.

Photo: IStock

Joyce Defau, then Joyce Viola Kane, began her freshman year at Northern Illinois University in 1951, planning to graduate with a degree in home economics.

But those plans changed when Defau met a special person at church who stole her heart, she said in an interview.

"I went to university for three and a half years, but I decided to drop out after I met him." Defau said.

Don Freeman Sr. became a special person for a woman. They married in 1955 and had three children before Freeman passed away, leaving her a widow for about five years.

Defau eventually remarried to her now-deceased second husband, Roy Defau. Together they had six children, including two sets of twins. Her family has grown over the years and she now has 17 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Fast forward to 2019, when Defau showed interest in attending the college she once dropped out of.

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“I think I mentioned that I was upset about not finishing university and my kids talked me into coming back,” she said. So she re-enrolled in Northern Illinois and started taking classes.

Jenna Dooley, one of Defaugh's 17 grandchildren and an NIU alumnus, said it was more about "why not" when Defaugh decided to return to her studies.

Dooley said that when she was growing up, she visited her grandmother at her farmhouse, where Defau always baked or cooked.

Defau was also a Sunday school teacher. “She has always loved teaching and learning,” Dooley said.

“When we called the university about a previous enrollment, they were shocked to hear that we were asking about a student from the 50s,” Dooley said.

But this time it was different for Defau.

Instead of going to campus for classes, she did it behind a computer screen from a nursing home.

“It was my first computer,” Defau said. “My kids had to teach me how to use it.”

Dooley added that her uncle Don, Defau's eldest son, helped set up the computer, got a camera for the computer, and taught her how to use the university email.

When the Covid-2020 pandemic hit in 19, Defau was thankful for the computer, Dooley said. “It worked out very well that she was already connected to the network,” she added.

According to Dooley, she was alone at the time and could not receive visitors. “She got upset at times, but I kept reminding her that it was all part of the process,” Dooley added.

“Sometimes I wanted to quit, but I couldn’t,” Defau said. She said she received a lot of support from family, friends and the university.

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Undergraduate Director of General Studies Judy Santacaterina was a huge help to Defau. Dooley said that Judy took on the role of Defau's assistant with her degree, and the whole family is grateful to Santacaterina.

Defau attended one class each semester, including during the summer. “She is very organized,” Dooley said. “She has a daily routine. She wanted to keep going to classes so she wouldn't fall out of the process."

Now, three years later, she donned her graduation gown and hat and received her bachelor's degree in general science from the university on December 12.

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Defau is grateful that she had the opportunity to return to university and complete her degree. “It’s nice to finish what I started,” she said.

She gave advice to those who might be in a similar situation. "Don't give up," she said, "I know it can be hard, but everything in life has its ups and downs."

“She has a gift for learning and teaching, so being able to celebrate with joy is the icing on the cake.” Dooley said.

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