You're never too old to make this blog
Minnie Payne is an inspiration.
At the age of 90, Minnie Payne achieved a remarkable milestone by earning her master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Nearly 3/4 of a century after she graduated high school!
I think it goes without saying that this path to higher education was a lengthy one. Minnie originates from a modest South Carolina textile mill community and she born to uneducated mill workers. Despite these somewhat significant headwinds, she graduated high school in 1950(!) and after a brief stint at junior college, she entered the workforce as a clerk at a real estate firm. From there she followed a rather conventional path, staying in the workforce, finding love, marrying and raising a family of two children.
At the ripe young age of 68, Payne retired from her 30-year career as a transcriptionist and word processor. Undaunted, undeterred and still curious she enrolled at Texas Woman’s University and, at 73, proudly earned her bachelor's degree in General Studies in 2006.
But she wasn’t done there! Driven by a passion for words and writing, she quickly returned to school
"I had always worked with words, and I had always liked to write. I wanted to improve myself."
Her advisor aptly referred to her as a "lifelong learner," but Payne takes a more pragmatic POV viewing her journey as a continuous effort to better herself.
"I knew that I was bettering myself and my family, and I was doing something I enjoyed and something constructive," she said. "Every day I try to do something to improve my life and those around me. In some way or another, I want to continue learning,"
Bettering ourselves, continuing to learn. Finding what you enjoy.