Norma Inch (BA) was the most senior member of the class of 2009.

"I selected AU because my late husband was already sick, and leaving him alone for hours to attend university lectures was not an option. It was my daughter who found AU on the web and encouraged me to sign up for courses. I have never regretted the decision and look on the years I spent working towards my BA as one of the most positive decisions I've ever made. I proved to myself that I could go back to school as a very mature student and succeed.

"Right after convocation I was busy with my daughter's wedding. I then travelled to Israel for my nephew's wedding and on to England to visit family and friends there. As well as indulging in my love of travel, I am also very involved with friends in Toronto and get together with them for coffee, lunches and dinners, and visits to movie theatres, live theatre and cultural events. I recently saw the Dead Sea scrolls exhibit, which was awe-inspiring. I also volunteer once a week at one of the Toronto hospitals, assisting at their ambulatory transplant clinic where people, both pre- and post-transplant, come for outpatient appointments. I still intend to learn a new language starting sometime this year.

"I don't think that completing my degree has impacted my life professionally, but on a personal level, it has made me feel that I have proved that age is definitely no barrier to personal fulfillment.

"I would definitely do it all again. Learning should be a lifelong experience, and as long as my brain functions properly, I intend to keep learning something new every day."