88-Year-Old Woman Finally Earns College Degree After 65-Year Wait

June 9, 2025

Joan Alexander never gave up on a dream that began in the 1950s. At 88 years old, she’s now officially a college graduate — fulfilling a lifelong goal that was put on hold more than six decades ago.

Joan Alexander / Credit: University of Maine

Back in the late '50s, Alexander was studying at the University of Maine with hopes of becoming a teacher. But societal expectations and outdated policies derailed her plans. When she became pregnant during her studies, she was barred from completing her student teaching — a requirement at the time — and left the university without her degree in 1959.

Despite that setback, Alexander poured her heart into raising her four daughters while her husband, a member of the Coast Guard, was often away at sea. Over the years, she remained active in her community, volunteering at her local church, school, and library in Southwest Harbor, Maine.

Still, the unfinished chapter in her life remained on her mind.

That changed when her youngest daughter, Tracy, reached out to the University of Maine to see if there was any way her mother’s past work could be recognized. She connected with Justin Dimmel, associate dean in UMaine’s College of Education and Human Development, who immediately took interest in the request.

“I was moved by Joan’s story,” Dimmel said. “Her commitment to completing her undergraduate education was inspiring to me, my colleagues, and the graduating class of 2025.”

Through conversations and research, the university discovered that Joan had, in fact, fulfilled the spirit of the student teaching requirement years earlier. In the early 1980s, she had worked full-time with preschool-aged children in a home-based education program. Her responsibilities included fostering early literacy and motor skills — work that was deemed equivalent to traditional student teaching.

With all degree requirements now satisfied, UMaine officially awarded Alexander her Bachelor of Science in Education. She became one of the university’s oldest graduates in its 160-year history.

“I didn’t realize that it would mean so much to me,” Alexander said, “but I now feel that a hole in my heart has been healed.”

Although she couldn’t attend the May 11 commencement ceremony in person, her daughter Tracy and granddaughter Isabel walked in her honor. Joan’s story was even featured in a speech by UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, who praised her determination as a true example of the "Black Bear spirit."

“My parents didn’t complete college,” Alexander shared. “So this was important to me. My husband and daughters all earned their degrees, and I was the only one who hadn’t. It gives me a sense of closure and accomplishment.”

Now living in New Hampshire with one of her daughters, Alexander hopes her story inspires others to keep going — no matter how long the journey may take.

“Find something you are interested in,” she said, “and pursue it.”