It’s never too late to learn: Mature students share why going back to school later in life was the best decision

Think you missed your chance to go back to university? Athabasca University students share insight and advice for success in online learning as mature learners

When Judy Obee (Bachelor of General Studies ’25) decided to go back to school in 2018, more than half a century had passed since the last time she was a full-time university student. 

The Calgary, Alta., resident previously graduated with a bachelor’s degree in math in 1970. After a 55-year break, she had doubts about enrolling in courses as a septuagenarian—who wouldn’t? But she was determined to try, and took the plunge with Athabasca University. 

“It was a mixture of trepidation and confidence. I thought I could do it, but I was really worried because, like, I'm an older person now,” Obee said.

Everyone has their own reason for deciding to return to school later in life—career advancement, career shifts, upskilling, and having more time to pursue interests. Obee’s decision was rooted in family history: she didn’t want to succumb to the ravages of dementia that saw her parents’ mental faculties decline in their later years. 

“I did a whole lot of research about what could help stop me going down that same path. And aside from general healthy living, one of the things that I heard was ‘exercise your brain.’  And I decided that, you know, if I got a university degree that would really push those old brain cells around!”

Related: I have a healthy future thanks to AU, says eldest grad in Class of 2025

After dipping her toes in, course by course, she found her academic groove. When she graduated with a bachelor’s degree this past spring at the age of 76, she beamed with pride about her accomplishment, but also at the example she set for other adults considering going back to school later in life.

If I had to show up at a class at a scheduled time every day, it was not going to happen. I had to be able to do the studying when the time presented itself, but it had to be wrapped around other entries in my calendar. I could not have done it without Athabasca University.

Obee isn’t the only mature learner who found success and fulfillment thanks to AU’s flexible online learning. Here’s what a few other older students and alumni have said about going back to school later in life.

Flexibility that fit where I was at in life

Jennifer May-Anderson (Bachelor of Professional Arts, Communications Major ’25) returned to school to build on her skills as a communications professional and leader. AU didn’t just open the door to higher education, it “welcomed me with a model that understood the complexity of adult life and still believed in my potential.”

“Online learning at Athabasca University just made sense for where I was in life,” she added.

Balancing school, work, and family required planning, sacrifice, and many late nights, but she was determined to see it through. Often, she and her chilidren would do their homework together in the evening at the kitchen table. 

AU’s flexible, self-paced approach meant I could keep showing up for the people and work that mattered to me, while still moving forward with my education.

Raising the bar on an already successful career

When Sharlene Rutherford (Master of Business Administration ’19) decided to go back to school for an MBA, she was already 11 years into her tenure as an executive with the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation in Edmonton, Alta., where she helped raise millions for health care and research, especially for women’s health. 

After working mostly in journalism and communications, her MBA would provide a solid foundation that helped her work more closely with the foundation’s teams in other areas, including finance and operations. It would also pave the way for her advancement to president and CEO. 

“The MBA immediately unlocked things for me where I could take what I was learning, the academic exercises, and apply them to the day-to-day business functions of our organization,” Rutherford said.

AU provided the flexibility to study when it fit with her schedule, which often meant working from her home office until 9 p.m. most nights.

“I had wondered if I had bitten off way more than I could chew, but I made a promise to not be too hard on myself and to take it day by day,” she said.

Learning new skills for career sparks lifelong study

When Anne Kustra first enrolled at AU in 2005, she was already in her fourth decade as a nurse, after graduating with a diploma in 1977. She felt a bachelor’s degree would help open new doors to career advancement, so she turned to AU—“one of the best paths I ever took.”

That initial degree not only helped Kustra land a role in clinical education, it sparked a lifelong love of learning that kept her coming back for four degrees in total: Bachelor of Nursing '10, Bachelor of General Studies '16, Master of Health Studies '20, Master of Arts – Interdisciplinary Studies '24. 

In 2024, AU awarded her the prestigious Lifelong Learner Award in recognition of her remarkable accomplishments. Now retired, Kustra says she has no plans to stop learning.

“At this point in my life, it's not for career advancement, it's just for my own personal satisfaction,” she said. “And I want to continue on.”

Read more about Kustra's journey at AU

AU unlocks door to new career trajectory

Chris Kayser (Bachelor of General Studies ’14) was eight credits short of an undergraduate degree when he decided to do something about it. He turned to AU because it was the only university that offered him full credit for courses he completed previously, and because he could learn at his own pace.

Kayser’s AU experience introduced him to the world of criminal justice—an area that would prove to be a new and unexpected career path. The seven criminal justice courses he took and relationships he forged with AU faculty sparked an interest that would see him go on to pursue a graduate degree in cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity from Boston University.

Today, the Calgarian owns his own consulting company, Cybercrime Analytics Inc., which focuses on cybercrime prevention, and he has published several books.

I look back and say that the catalyst for me continuing my academic pursuits started with AU.

“My courses, tutors, and the entire supportive process I experienced while an AU student provided the encouragement to expand my education in criminal justice, and in my own personal life.”

Watch: Kayser shares how AU paved the way for a new career path

The GOAT lifelong learner

No celebration of mature students would be complete without a nod to the GOAT (greatest of all time) lifelong learner: Louisa “Louise” Daley (Bachelor of Arts ’99, Bachelor of General Studies ’17).

Daley was 53 years old when she first enrolled at AU to pursue an interest in writing. She had spent her whole life to that point raising a family, but after her husband passed away from cancer in the late ‘70s, her entire world changed.

Over a span of 22 years, she plugged away at her program—course by course—until, in 1999, she became AU’s oldest-ever graduate. 

“I’ve been alone now for 44 years, and you've got to fill in that time doing something,” Daley said in an interview at convocation. “It's no good just sitting back.”

But the learning didn’t stop there as Daley also pursued a second undergraduate degree. Once again, she plugged away at her coursework—for 34 years in total—until she graduated in 2017 at the age of 93.

Daley passed away in 2021 but not before being inducted in the Order of Athabasca University, AU’s highest honour. In 2023, AU once again celebrated her remarkable accomplishments and example, awarding her with a posthumous Lifelong Learner Award.

“I did as much as I did because I'm always looking forward,” Daley said at the time.