An 89-year-old Florida woman had something extra to celebrate during the holidays when she received her master's degree.
Joan Donovan donned a cap and gown for a private graduation ceremony outside her Florida home to celebrate earning her master's degree in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University.
Donovan said she graduated high school at age 16, but her family didn't have the money to send her to college. She took some post-graduate courses at her local high school, but education fell to the wayside after she got married and started a family.
Donovan went back to school to earn her associate's degree after her children moved away from home, and she graduated with a bachelor's degree from a four-year university at age 84.
"Then I said, 'why not keep going?'" Donovan said in a news release from SNHU.
She determined she wanted to earn her master's in creative writing, but her college didn't offer a program. She ended up enrolling in SNHU's online program to pursue her goal.
"I was afraid to try college," Donovan said. "So I say, 'try things.' If you fail, try it again ... but just keep trying."