90-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Graduates from University

90-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Graduates from University – A 90-year-old great-grandmother from Londonderry, Maryette McFarland, has defied age barriers by graduating with a degree in English Literature from the Open University — seventy years after she first began her studies.

McFarland was among more than 300 graduates who were conferred with degrees during a ceremony held in Belfast this week, making her the oldest graduate in attendance.

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“I can hardly believe it, and it’s taken me quite a long time,” McFarland told BBC News NI, expressing joy and disbelief at achieving a goal she had set decades ago.

She first enrolled at Trinity College Dublin in the 1960s but left her studies to get married. Decades later, while recovering from a car accident, she decided to resume her education through the Open University.

“I had a bit of time to spare and I thought I’d like to do something,” she said.

Studying online, however, was not without challenges. “I’m very bad online, but I had a lot of help from the family,” she explained, adding that her daughter-in-law even taught her to type. “They think it’s a bit odd for granny to have a degree, but they’ve been wonderful.”

Her eldest daughter, Shauna Gailey, who accompanied her mother to the graduation, expressed immense pride:

“She’s always regretted not finishing the Trinity Dublin degree. To see her finally get it at 90 — it’s so exciting for her and all of us.”

Gailey described her mother as “dedicated,” often surrounded by piles of books, her laptop, and tablet on the sofa.

Following the ceremony, the family celebrated with a large lunch before watching McFarland receive her degree.

The nonagenarian shared a powerful message with others:

“If I can do it, anybody can do it. It’s never too late.”