Faculty and Staff

16- and 78-year-old graduates prove age not a limiting factor at Penn State

University Park, Pa. -- They say, "learning knows no age," and nowhere is this more the case than at Penn State, where education is indeed spanning generations. During the University's spring commencement ceremonies this month, Penn State's youngest graduate ever, 16-year-old Jessica Meeker, and one of the University's oldest graduates, 78-year-old Bob Farrell, will receive their degrees. At an institution where the system-wide average age of undergraduate students is 23, Meeker and Farrell represent a small group of students who are anything but average -- in more ways than one.

Meeker, who excelled as a home-schooled student before coming to Penn State, began attending classes at the University Park campus in summer 2000 at the age of 12. By the age of 14, she earned her associate degree in letters, arts and sciences, and now, two years later, Meeker will receive her bachelor of science degree in psychology at the College of the Liberal Arts commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 15, on the University Park campus. Not one to rest on her laurels, Meeker has been accepted to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania to begin her MBA program there in the fall.

Farrell, a World War II veteran and a cancer survivor, will receive his associate degree in letters, arts and sciences from Penn State Delaware County on May 15. Farrell has attended Penn State as a "Go Sixty" student. This program, offered to adult learners 60 and over, makes classes available to students at a minimal charge.

Though separated by a span of more than 50 years, Farrell and Meeker share a determination and love of learning that is impelling each to continue on their educational journey. After earning his associate degree, Farrell plans to pursue his bachelor's degree in English at Penn State Delaware County this fall.

Farrell is among the oldest students ever to graduate from Penn State. In the early 1900s, the University graduated two men in their late 80s, and in 2003, an 82-year-old student received her degree from Penn State Abington. At the Delaware County campus, Farrell ties for the most chronologically distinguished student with a 1996 graduate, who also was 78. As an adult learner (generally defined as a student 24 or older), Farrell is in the company of the other 17,513 students who make up roughly 23 percent of Penn State's system-wide student population.

For more information about Penn State University Park's commencement ceremonies, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/grads/

For more information about Penn State Delaware County's ceremonies, go to http://www.de.psu.edu/

Last Updated March 19, 2009

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