Alvina Swanson of Dallas accomplished something she had never imagined she would do in December: she earned her college degree.
"I am a delayed college graduate," the 53-year-old grandmother said with a smile. "It made me feel accomplished, like yes, I did this, and I did it as an old lady!"
Swanson got her bachelor's degree from UNT Dallas more than 30 years after first attending college.
"I graduated high school from Dallas Skyline in 1989," Swanson said, looking at her high school graduation photo. She started college at UT Arlington, but then life got in the way; she had kids and then went to work. "And school became a backburner."
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In 2017, Swanson's then 11-year-old son Jzalil was in a car accident that left him paralyzed. His spirit to overcome adversity and frank honesty made an impression on Swanson.
"He said to me, you're always getting mad at me and telling me I need to strive for excellence, but you're a college dropout! It hurt my feelings, and I was like, I got my high school diploma, though," Swanson said. "I was like, he's right. We expect a lot from our kids, but we're not setting the standard that we want them to have."
That argument with her son inspired Swanson to try again. She got her associate's degree from Dallas College and then enrolled at UNT Dallas.
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"The first semester, I got a 3.0, and I was excited," Swanson said. "I was like, oh, I got two B's. Yes!
The next semester, she had a 3.5 grade point average.
"I was like, hmm, ok, let's try this again. So this semester, I got a 4.0," Swanson said. She also joined a sorority and student groups while at UNT Dallas. "So I did my full college experience, what I thought I'd missed in 1989."
Swanson will continue her education in January, pursuing a master's degree in public service leadership from UNT Dallas. She wants to work in economically disadvantaged communities.
"That's the only thing we're gonna be able to fight poverty, fight injustices," Swanson explained. "We have to be knowledgeable of these things. If we don't know, we can't put the puzzle pieces together if we don't choose to educate ourselves."
Swanson graduated from UNT Dallas with a 3.57 GPA.
"You know, education doesn't have an age," Swanson said. "Whoever sees this, just don't give up."
