A 90-year-old woman became the oldest University of North Texas student to graduate with a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.
Minnie Payne told UNT officials that she only attended junior high school for a short time after graduating from high school in 1950, but retired at age 68 after a 30-year career as a transcriptionist and word processor. After that, he decided to go back to studying.
She enrolled at Texas Woman’s University, where she took three journalism classes and one business class on the UNT campus.
“I’ve always worked with words and I’ve always loved writing, so I went back to school almost immediately. I wanted to improve,” Payne said when announcing the start of school.
Payne earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies in 2006 and has worked as a freelance writer for several publications throughout Texas.
Payne moved to College Station to be closer to family and returned to UNT to pursue a master’s degree in journalism, but turned to interdisciplinary studies when some of her online classes resumed in person.
Payne’s mentor was Billy Roessler, associate dean for graduate studies at UNT’s Toulouse Graduate School.
He said: “We often use the phrase ‘lifelong learner’ but Minnie really shows it. Her persistence in completing her studies at the age of 90 is impressive. The goal was: “Minnie chose her courses carefully. Each class looked to her particular strengths. She could have finished school a little earlier, but she stuck to the curriculum to get the most out of her education.
Payne has stated that she does not consider her studies to be complete.
“Anyway, I want to keep learning,” she said.