Maine Woman Earns Degree Six Decades After First Enrolling

The University of Maine is honoring a truly remarkable achievement that has been decades in the making.

We all love a good feel-good story, and this one is no exception. It’s a powerful reminder that, as cliché as it may sound, you should never give up and always keep chasing your dreams.

Joan Alexander first studied at UMaine in the late 1950s to become a teacher, but she was denied her degree after being barred from student teaching while pregnant.

Despite completing her coursework, Joan stepped away from school to raise a family, marrying her husband Jim during her sophomore year and welcoming their first child soon after.

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More than 60 years later, Joan received help from her youngest daughter, Tracy, and UMaine’s College of Education and Human Development.

The university confirmed she had fulfilled the teaching requirement through full-time preschool work in Southwest Harbor in the early 1980s.

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At 88 years old, she officially earned her Bachelor of Science in Education, likely becoming the oldest undergraduate degree recipient in UMaine’s history.

Joan’s story, celebrated by the University of Maine at its 2025 commencement, is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to finish what you started.

And there you go! At 88 years old, Joan Alexander finally earned her degree from the University of Maine—more than six decades after first enrolling.

Congratulations are in order for Joan, the Alexander family, and the University of Maine! What are your thoughts on this amazing accomplishment? We’d love to hear from you—feel free to join the conversation by messaging us on the app.

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