Skip to main content

83-year-old Orillia, Ont. woman graduates university

Share

At 83 years of age, Virginia Majury is chasing her dreams, having graduated from university, proving that age is just a number.

"My three daughters encouraged me, so I figured, might as well go try it out," said the Orillia, Ont. senior.

On Friday, Majury walked across the stage at her convocation held at Rotary Place in her graduation gown to receive her degree.

Majury, a grandmother and great-grandmother, attended an anthropology class several years ago, and it was there that she decided to enroll at Lakehead University with her sights set on getting her first degree.

"I never thought I was university material," she explained. "When I was a teenager, there weren't as many options."

Majury left high school in Grade 11 for a job in bookkeeping and soon after married and started a family, but as life moved forward, she never lost sight of her goals.

"She was handed a pencil and paper, and now it's computers, so I think there was a bit of a learning curve, so we stepped in to help," said her daughter, Debbie Kumar-Misir.

Majury's granddaughter, Sarah Dillon, said her drive is inspirational.

"It's honouring having a grandmother who is that ambitious and strong even through life's challenges," said Dillon.

Majury said she's not quite done just yet either; she hopes to return to university next year to complete a master's degree.

"I think it's great, and I can hardly wait to get back," she concluded.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'It wasn't easy the first time': What Trudeau has said about Trump

While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a measured tone when talking about Donald Trump during his first presidency, the Canadian leader has been a little more direct since. As we head closer to a U.S. election this fall, CTVNews.ca takes a look at everything Trudeau has said publicly about the presumptive Republican nominee.

Meet the students keeping Canada's war history alive

At Beaumont-Hamel and at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Canadian students work as interpreters — about 16 at any time — as part of a work exchange program organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Biden rejects independent medical evaluation in ABC interview as he fights to stay in race

U.S. President Joe Biden, fighting to save his endangered reelection effort, used a highly anticipated TV interview Friday to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office while blaming his disastrous debate performance on a 'bad episode' and saying there were 'no indications of any serious condition.'

Stay Connected