An 81-year-old woman who survived a stroke and cancer demonstrated the strength of endurance by getting her bachelor’s degree.
Janice Hall of Indiana is someone who deserves to kick back and relax in retirement.
Hall has been a mom, experienced and survived a stroke, and been diagnosed with and overcome breast cancer twice in her more than eight decades on Earth.
She is the grandmother of 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
After all that, you’d think Hall would want to kick back and relax, but she enrolled in a degree program in organizational management at Bethel College, a private Christian institution in Indiana, a few years ago.
The mother made completing the certification part of her “bucket list,” and she worked hard over the years to acquire her degree.
According to Bethel University, the course teaches pupils how organizations function and develops management and leadership skills, with topics such as human resources and marketing translating into technical skills in areas such as economics, finance, statistics, and systems management.
Students at Bethel may complete their degrees in two years by attending courses twice a week for four hours, and Hall was among the university’s alumni who mounted the stage this year to get their diplomas.
The old student was greeted with screams and ovations as she received her diploma, and her narrative earned her the title of “inspiration.”
Hall stated about her accomplishments that her age and disability have not defined her. Even as seniors, there is much more for them to do. They have wisdom that they are able to impart to the younger generation.
Michael Hall, Hall’s son, celebrated his mother’s graduation by posting images of her on Facebook.
“Congratulations to my mother, who received her bachelor’s degree from Bethel University at 81 years old,” Michael tweeted, adding, “What an amazing milestone to accomplish.”
Congratulations to my mother who received her Bachelor's Degree from Bethel University at 81 years old. What an amazing milestone to accomplish. To God be the Glory!👏🏾
Posted by Michael Patton on Saturday, 29 April 2023
Michael’s message received a rush of positive feedback from Facebook users, with many thanking his mother for her hard work paying off.
“Congratulations to an amazing woman!!!” one person said, adding, “Congratulations such an inspiration…never too late!”
Even after receiving her degree, Hall shows no signs of slowing down, as she has already been accepted into Bethel’s master’s program in ministry.
Her experience demonstrates once again that age is only a number.
