Some dreams take longer than others—but that doesn’t make them any less worth chasing.

Joan Alexander waited more than sixty years to fulfill a lifelong goal that was once taken from her. Now, at 88, she’s proven it’s never too late to reclaim your path.

At The GrayVine, we honor resilience, purpose, and the quiet strength it takes to rewrite your story—whenever the time is right.



Joan’s journey began in the late 1950s when she enrolled at the University of Maine with hopes of becoming a teacher. But when she became pregnant, she was barred from completing the student teaching requirement.

Though she’d finished all her coursework, the university wouldn’t grant her the degree. Joan left college without graduating and poured her energy into raising four daughters while her husband served in the US Coast Guard.


Joan never stopped dreaming of what could have been. “My husband and all four daughters earned college degrees. I was the only one who hadn’t,” she said.

That changed when her youngest daughter, Tracy, contacted the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development. Tracy shared Joan’s story—and the school listened.

Dr. Justin Dimmel, Associate Dean, reviewed Joan’s past coursework and uncovered something remarkable: she’d completed every academic requirement, and her work as a full-time preschool aide in the 1980s fulfilled the missing student teaching component.

On May 11, 2025, Joan Alexander officially earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Maine—nearly 70 years after she first enrolled.

While Joan couldn’t attend the ceremony in person, her daughter and granddaughter proudly accepted the diploma on her behalf.



University President Joan Ferrini-Mundy praised Joan’s persistence, saying her story “characterizes what the Black Bear spirit is all about.”

For Joan, the moment brought long-awaited closure: “I didn’t realize that it would mean so much to me, but I now feel that a hole in my heart has been healed.”

At a time when pregnant students were often sidelined, Joan’s story reminds us how much has changed—and how far we’ve come.

The decision to withhold her degree in the 1950s may have halted her plans temporarily, but it never extinguished her passion for education or service.



Joan’s commitment inspired not just her family, but university faculty and the entire graduating class of 2025.

As Dr. Dimmel shared: “Working with Joan, her daughter Tracy and Joan’s family has been a highlight of my academic career."

Whether you’re chasing a diploma, a new skill, or a second chance, Joan Alexander’s story proves it’s never too late.

Your path may not be linear, and your dream might get delayed—but it’s still yours to claim.

Because sometimes, the biggest accomplishments aren’t the ones we earn on time—they’re the ones we never give up on.

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Have you ever revisited a goal years after letting it go? What keeps you motivated to keep learning and growing—at any age? Share your thoughts in the comments. We love hearing how our GrayVine community continues to evolve, thrive, and defy expectations.