APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A recent college graduate is celebrating in Appleton after breaking boundaries in higher education.
Rosemary Lloyd, 88, recently earned her Bachelors degree from Marian University in Fond du Lac.
Rosemary Lloyd, 88, receives her Marian University diploma in her Appleton apartment Nov. 9, 2022. (WLUK)
The school says that Lloyd was unable to attend the December graduation ceremonies because of her fragility. But that didn’t stop Marian from celebrating the nontraditional student’s achievements.
Marian University President Michelle Majewski and several others donned their full graduation regalia to present Lloyd her diploma at her apartment.
Majewski called Lloyd’s education journey a “demonstration of grit and perseverance and, also, life-long learning.”
Majewski said she finds it truly inspirational that Lloyd came back to finish her degree at her age.
Lloyd’s achievement truly breaks boundaries, as non-traditional students only make up roughly 20% of undergraduate students, according to the National Center for Education Data Statistics.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that students over the age of 35 make up roughly 10% of all undergraduate students in the U.S. Breaking the research down further, though, only 0.2% of undergraduate students are 55 years or older.
When asked what’s next, Lloyd laughed and said, “Who knows? That’s the excitement of life.”
Comments