For many young adults today, pursuing their tertiary education is almost as much of a rite of passage as it is to learn how to drive a car. With most parents wanting to provide their children with the best chance of securing a future for themselves, it’s no wonder why such a heavy emphasis is being made on ensuring that they are able to land themselves a spot in higher learning institutions.
64-year-old M’sian grandmum pursues undergraduate degree
But that wasn’t always the case for those born in generations that preceded us, with many senior citizens having never been granted the same opportunity to go to university. With that said, it’s never too late to turn those ambitions into a reality, as one Malaysian grandmother would go on to prove!
In a post that was uploaded by netizen @sthehu, otherwise known as Mr Solehudin, he took to sharing how his 64-year-old mother, who has ten grandchildren with another one on the way, is now entering her second year of her undergraduate degree in business management.
Accompanying his post were two photographs of his mother beaming with clear excitement as she boards her faculty’s bus to head to campus.
Motivated to do so to inspire her grandkids
Speaking with Wau Post on his mother’s decision to further her studies despite entering her golden years, he explained that she was motivated to do so after witnessing how young children, especially her own grandkids, faced challenges in adapting to online learning courses during the Covid-19 lockdowns from two years ago.
“She’s been teaching kids & school kids for close to 30 years.”
“She wanted to try to motivate the kids. ‘See? Even maktok who doesn’t know how to use a computer can learn.'” he said.
What’s more, she even made a point to help them out by preparing proper equipment such as phones, laptops, as well as a steady Internet connection so that they could discuss their assignments and help with the material.
But of course, she was also incredibly driven with the goal of obtaining a university degree for some time now, having graduated with an SPM certification back in 1976 before working as a kindergarten teacher and subsequently a teacher with a religious school in Masjid Tuan Guru, Tanjong Tokong, Penang.
While learning how to use a computer may not come easily to her, Solehudin said that she was slowly learning to adapt over a course of two full academic years of online learning. But thankfully, she has since been granted the opportunity of attending physical classes last week.
Her story has since gone viral over the local social media space, with many netizens sending Solehudin’s mum well wishes on her journey in completing her undergraduate degree.
“Never too late to learn! My father got his degree when he was in his late 40s. He is always my inspiration when I want to give up on my studies. If he can, I can too! Good luck to your mom!”
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