College departure compelled by pregnancy.
A spry 88-year-old gal from the Granite State, Joan Alexander, has finally officially joined the university ranks, securing her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the University of Maine. After being booted from the institution six decades earlier due to her pregnancy, Joan's long-awaited diploma was handed to her last month.
It was a dream she'd had since attending the University of Maine in the '50s with her sights set on becoming an educator. However, due to being barred from teaching while pregnant, and with her firstborn on the way, her college career was prematurely halted.
"If only, Alexander would have been granted the opportunity to teach, she'd have gained her degree in 1959," the university reminds us.
It was her youngest daughter, Tracy, who picked up the torch to help her mama. She reached out to the university to uncover a path forward. Upon reevaluating Joan's situation, Justin Dimmel, the university's vice president, identified that Joan had indeed completed the teaching requirement back in 1980-81. Working tirelessly as a preschool program assistant, her work with young children satisfied the final requirement for her degree.
Dimmel shared, "I couldn't help but feel moved by Joan's story, working diligently to give her the recognition she rightfully deserved as both a former university student and lifelong contributing member of society."
With the earth spinning through May, Joan Alexander, a woman of 88, proudly accepted her Bachelor of Science in Education degree—making her quite possibly the oldest recipient in the university's 160-year history.
Overwhelmed with joy, she mused, "I feel like a hole in my heart has been mended." Reflecting on her heritage, she shared, "My parents never had the chance to finish college, so this accomplishment is quite the triumph for me."
Throughout her decades-long journey, she's devoted herself to her family—taking care of her four daughters, Bonnie, Cindy, Jessie, and Tracy—and selflessly lending a hand to her community, volunteering at churches, libraries, and schools.
Currently residing in New Hampshire with her precious partner and one of her daughters, she now wears the mantle of a university graduate with pride.
In other news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been captured on camera sharing pizza with kids in a Kyiv shelter. Check it out here.
In the midst of her newfound status as a university graduate, Joan Alexander expressed her gratitude, stating, "This degree in Health-and-Wellness and Women's Health will empower me to further contribute to the well-being of others." Recognizing the importance of education in various aspects of life, including parenting, she expressed her hope that her story would inspire future generations to pursue their dreams without fear or limitation.
