Woman, 79, Graduates from College After Putting Education on Hold to Take Care of Family

Patricia Sias Ellis just graduated from college — a goal six decades in the making.

Ellis, 79, walked across the graduation stage at Clayton State University in Morrow, Ga., on Saturday, May 10, 60 years after deferring college to prioritize her family, per 11Alive. After years of working and supporting both her husband’s and son’s collegiate careers, Ellis realized her own dream and earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“I always knew I wasn’t finished,” she told the outlet.

“I didn’t feel like I had ever finished any of the stuff that I had started,” Ellis told CNN/WXIA.

In a news clip from 11Alive, Ellis slipped on her navy cap and graduation gown, beaming once the outfit was complete. “These experiences I should have had at 19 or 20 years old — they are the same at 79 years old,” she said.

Ellis’ return to college began eight years ago, when she enrolled at Atlanta Metro College and later transferred to Clayton State, per CNN/WXIA.

The decision to return came about after her son joked she was “wearing a hole in his sofa watching soap operas all day,” she told CNN/WXIA. He told her getting a job or going back to school might be more productive, “and I said I am not getting a job,” Ellis explained.

Slowly but surely, Ellis earned her degree, taking a few classes each semester. In 2022, she encountered an unexpected hurdle when doctors discovered a 10-pound tumor on her kidney, 11Alive reports. After surgery, she enrolled in more classes determined to finish her degree.

“I just had a good time, in this whole process — especially this last year when I realized it’s really going to happen,” she told the outlet, adding, “I’ve just been over the moon.”

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Ellis’ perseverance has proven an inspiration to the Clayton State community — the university’s president, Dr. Georj Lewis, included. Ellis “lights up the room,” and would likely light up the graduation ceremony, too, Lewis told 11Alive.

“When she crosses that stage, everyone is probably going to stand up,” he told the outlet ahead of the ceremony. “Because she’s hard not to know.”

Following her latest achievement, Ellis is keeping her options open. She’s considering enrolling in a master’s program in the future, but is presently focused on contributing to her community with the knowledge and wisdom she gained at Clayton State, during what she now considers “the best years of my life.”