If We Can Do It, You Can Do It!
Students over 60 say that USC Union has helped them meet their goals for lifelong learning!
By Holly Patterson
“My name is Holly Patterson, I am 64 years old. I am from Union S.C. and I will be graduating from USC Union this May. I got my degree in nursing 35 years ago. I was a lot younger then. Coming back now is a big challenge. I have a lot of health issues, but I push myself every day. I am hoping to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with a minor in Religion. Getting a 4-year degree at USC Union has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. Getting to know the younger students has been very rewarding. At first, I felt awkward and overwhelmed being with the young students, but now I am friends with them, and they make me feel young. I think that’s what I have enjoyed most about coming back to school. I love all the activities, especially the food. I am looking forward to two more years at USC Union. “
“My name is Harold Smith, I am 70 years old. I am from Spartanburg S.C. I graduated from Dorman High School in 1972 and attended USC Spartanburg from 1972-1974. It was on my bucket list to go back to school, and my daughter, Dr. Emily Schafer, encouraged me to come here and take classes. I feel that my coursework keeps me mentally sharp. I like being challenged and am appreciative of the opportunity to come back to school. I dig a little deeper into research. I am a curious person. I enjoy being around the young people and their energy. Taking classes here has opened my mind to learn new subjects. I like the fact that if you need a lot of textbooks, most are on a computer. I think being back at college and learning new subjects will make me a more well-rounded person. “
“My name is Jerry Williams and I am 75 years old. I am from Union. In 2021, I graduated cum laude with a BA in Liberal Studies (Political Science/History discipline) from Palmetto College. This was my third time attending college - I had started at Spartanburg Methodist College in 1966 but left to join the Army, and I took a few courses at USC Union in 1981. I decided to come back to school because I was battling lymphoma and went through six chemo treatments, which affected my memory. I wanted to do something to combat that, so I took one class. I enjoyed it and wanted to see how far I could go. It was very rewarding to be able to interact with young people that I would not normally see. I met some really good kids and got to see things from their perspective. The biggest challenge was getting used to working with technology and getting the hang of formatting when writing papers. I liked the small class sizes at USC Union and enjoyed talking with the professors. I also participated in Research Club and completed a project where I collected interviews from Vietnam War veterans. Getting my degree was not related to any career goals, it was all for personal satisfaction. I just wanted to be able to say I did it.”
