Meet Shirley Gonzalez '06

Grandmother of eight and BA graduate.

After her youngest son graduated from college, González decided to complete her own education.

“At my age I wondered if I could handle college-level work. With limited resources and virtually no transportation, distance learning was my only option,” she said. “It was great to discover that all my credits would transfer into the baccalaureate program at Thomas Edison State College. I am proof that you are never too old to learn.”

González, whose educational journey began in 1965 as full-time student, recalled that she left school in her junior year, got married and raised three children. Over the years, González used her teaching skills to work with young people in recreational settings. She also home schooled her youngest son and her daughter’s children, and volunteered as a tutor for a learning disabled student.

“The difficulty with which he struggles to receive an education was an inspiration to me to complete my own studies, even though it seemed impossible to me at the time,” she said.

The impossible was realized when she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2006.

“My experience at Thomas Edison State College has been very rewarding. My goal was to complete what I started, but I can say that I received more than a BA degree,” said González. “I truly received an ‘education’ at Thomas Edison State College.”