Joyce DeFauw, then Joyce Viola Kane, began her freshman yr at Northern Illinois University in 1951 with a plan to graduate with a level in residence economics.
But these plans modified when DeFauw met a particular man at church who stole her coronary heart, she instructed CNN.
“I went to school for three and a half years, but decided to leave after I met him.” DeFauw mentioned.
The particular man was Don Freeman Sr. The two acquired married in 1955 and had three kids collectively earlier than Freeman died, leaving DeFauw widowed for about 5 years.
She remarried her late second husband, Roy DeFauw. Together they’d six kids, together with two units of twins.
Throughout the years her household grew, and he or she now has 17 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
Flash ahead to 2019 when DeFauw confirmed curiosity within the school training she left behind.
“I guess I mentioned I was upset that I didn’t finish school and my children encouraged me to go back,” she mentioned, so she enrolled again at Northern Illinois and started taking lessons.
Jenna Dooley, one in every of DeFauw’s 17 grandchildren and an alumnus of NIU, instructed CNN it was extra in regards to the “why not” versus the “why” when DeFauw determined to return.
Dooley mentioned when she was rising up she’d go to her grandmother in her farmhouse the place DeFauw would at all times be baking or cooking.
DeFauw was a Sunday college trainer as nicely.
“She’s always had that love of teaching and learning,” Dooley mentioned.
“When we made calls to the school about a previous enrolment, they were shocked to hear we were asking about a student from the 50s.”
But this time round, issues have been a lot totally different for DeFauw.
Instead of strolling to campus to attend class, she did so behind a pc display screen from her retirement residence.
“It was my first computer,” DeFauw mentioned, “My children had to teach me how to use it.”
Dooley added her uncle Don, DeFauw’s oldest son, helped arrange the pc, get a digicam for the pc and taught her how you can navigate her college electronic mail.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, she was grateful for the pc, Dooley mentioned. “It worked out really well that she was already set up online,” she added.
She was on her personal throughout that point and will haven’t any guests, Dooley mentioned.
“At times she’d get frustrated, but I kept reminding her that this was all a part of the process.”
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“At times I wanted to quit, but I didn’t,” DeFauw mentioned.
She mentioned she had loads of encouragement from household, mates and the college.
Director of Bachelor General Studies, Judy Santacaterina, was an enormous assist for DeFauw. Dooley mentioned she took on the position of serving to her grandmother get her diploma and the complete household is grateful for Santacaterina.
DeFauw took one class every semester, together with through the summer time. “She’s very organised,” Dooley mentioned.
“She has a routine. She wanted to keep taking classes so she wouldn’t fall out of that routine.”
Now, three years later, she’ll placed on the cap and robe and obtain a Bachelor of General Studies diploma from the college this weekend.
DeFauw is grateful she had the chance to get to return to highschool and get her diploma. “It’s nice to finish something you started,” she mentioned.
Her piece of recommendation to those that could also be in an identical state of affairs: “Don’t give up,” she mentioned, “I know it can be difficult, but everything in life has its ups and downs.”
“She has a gift of learning and teaching, so to be able to celebrate this with joy is the icing on the cake.” Dooley mentioned.
