‘It’s Never Too Late’: 85-year-old Florida Woman Graduates From College
A Florida lady who pursued her dream of earning a college degree is now sharing her experience as inspiration and advice.
After working her entire life, 85-year-old Arlyne Frankel retired at the age of 79. For PBS, she served as a consultant in marketing and fund-raising.
She took stock of her situation—divorced, alone, with kids and grandchildren—and decided she wanted to fulfill her life’s goals.
“At first, I considered taking on another position because my initial goal was to work until the day I passed away. or so I believed. After doing some reflection, I made the decision not to return to my job. I had the thought that I would live to the end. And what will I be doing? I want to achieve my goals, she said to “GMA3.”
Her initial fantasy was of having her Bat Mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age celebration often held around a child’s thirteenth birthday. She always desired one as a child but was unable to have one. Frankel told the audience during her Bat Mitzvah that she intended to fulfill her next dream of finishing college.
At the age of 18, Frankel enrolled in college for the first time at Boston University in 1954, but he did not complete it.
At the conclusion of the second year, she recounted, “I quit and stopped.” “Among other unpleasant things, I was having financial issues. I had trouble studying because of my poor grades.
Frankel discovered she had a learning problem when she went back to school later in life, which she believes contributed to her lack of motivation to finish school.
“Because I didn’t know I had a learning issue, I just assumed I wasn’t very smart. I gave up since I didn’t have somebody who could tell me what was wrong with me, she said. Frankel claimed that over time, she overcame her lack of a college education by putting in a lot of effort and succeeding.
“I never got over that sensation of failing, she claimed. “I then relocated to New York, where I worked hard and took on numerous jobs while I learned how to live. I’m from a little town, but I’ve made progress through the years. I had to have a lot of courage and self-confidence. Through my accomplishments and errors, I gained knowledge. I gained a little more knowledge with each job I had. I worked incredibly hard and put in extra hours.
At the age of 80, Frankel enrolled at Florida International University.
“I finished the program in five years,” she claimed.
Source: goodmorningamerica.com