For older adults, retirement is a time to rest, play golf or spend summers at the beach.
But for one North Texas woman, it’s about something entirely different.
Suzanne Stricker, 80, is a New Zealand native, a mother, grandmother and soon-to-be college graduate.
“My kids, of course, are proud of me and that's fun,” Stricker said.
She admits getting to this point has been more of a marathon than a sprint.
Enrolled part-time at UT Dallas for the past 12 years, she said being a student — again — has it's challenges “just as any other student would,” she said.
Stricker's major is in visual and performing arts. She’s graced the stage for choir shows alongside students 60 years her junior. In her children’s literature class, classmates could be her grandkids.
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“I've had the preconceived notion since I was older that they wouldn't know as much but they do and they work hard too,” Stricker said.
Stricker will walk with her cap and gown for graduation in May. She said she’ll return for her master’s degree in the fall.
Stricker credits good health, god and goals for her achievement.
A program that provides free tuition to senior citizens helped on the financial aspect. Click here to learn more about the program.
