We’re all familiar with the expression that it’s never too late. One Long Beach State student took this to heart and, in the process, has become a source of inspiration for her granddaughter and an entire community.
Officials at Long Beach State announced this week that Andrea “Onnie” Hull, 62, and her granddaughter Alexis Walters, 18, became the school’s first-ever grandmother- granddaughter pair to attend at the same time.
While this is a first for Long Beach State, nationally there is a growing number of seniors returning to school. And, it’s not for the reasons that motivated Rodney Dangerfield’s character in the 1980’s movie Back to School. While some seniors return to school for personal enrichment, many others do it in order to attain new skills that will make them more marketable for good-paying jobs that could supplement their income.
According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), many adults are returning to school for their college degree even after retirement. The American Council on Education notes that the average retirement age and life span in 1950 were both 68, meaning people worked their entire lives. Today, however, the average retirement age is 62, while the average American lives to 78, leaving the average American with 16 years to enjoy retirement.
Although the number of seniors returning to school has grown in recent years, the overwhelming number of college students are still in their late teens and early twenties. However, it is nice to know the value that many continue to place in higher education even after retirement. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have some extra wisdom and experience in the classroom. And, more importantly, it reminds us yet again that it’s never too late to go back to school!