College graduation is both an accomplishment and an honour. For some, attending college remains a pipe dream.
Even while some individuals may eventually give up on this desire, others keep going for it. One such person is Betty Sandison, who fulfilled her lifelong ambition sixty years after first envisioning it.
Just recently, Betty Sandison was 84 years old, and to celebrate, she received the news that she had graduated from college!
Sandison, the first in her family to attend college, reflects, “I grew up on a farm with no electricity.”
While attending the University of Minnesota, Sandison studied to become a licenced practical nurse. After a year, she realised she needed to change careers because of money problems.
Betty Sandison, a University of Minnesota alumna who graduated in nursing in 1956, has come back to the university over 60 years later to…
In the following decades, Sandison completed her associate’s degree, began working as a registered nurse, and eventually retired from the field.
A friend of hers, though, reminded her that this was not her ultimate goal in life.
“It was something I’ve always wanted,” she said. Sandison remembered that her buddy had asked, “What’s stopping you?” and that she had been at a loss for words.
Sandison thus returned to higher education after a 60-year hiatus. She returned to school in 2018 with the intention of finishing her degree.
A bachelor’s degree in transdisciplinary studies from the College of Continuing and Professional Studies was finally awarded to the 84-year-old recipient four years later.
Published by the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota on May 16, 2022.
Sandison said, with a broad grin on his face, “I’m pretty pleased of myself. In a sense, it was a dream realised.
She said that there was no simple part of her trip. She said that although the cost of tuition had increased and becoming familiar with new technology was a challenge, her classmates were always willing to provide a hand. She gushed about the wonderful relationships she’d formed with her classmates.
Sandison stated of teaching the younger students in her class, “It gave me so much joy and I looked at them and I thought, this world is going to be just fine.”
She went on to tell individuals that they can achieve their goals no matter their age, saying, “People say, ‘I could never do that,’ and I say, ‘Yes, you could if you want it bad enough.'”
There were just 25 credits that Sandison needed to graduate. Her loved ones gave her a celebration in honour of her monumental accomplishment.
It’s never too late to follow your heart, as Betty Sandison’s tale demonstrates.
Forward this to your loved ones to inspire them to chase their dreams at any age like Betty did!
