Rosie Rines is achieving a lifelong dream. At 79, she is graduating from Harvard Extension School with an undergraduate degree. Her daughters will be there to cheer her on.
When Rines finished high school in 1964, college wasn't a common path for women. She said people either got married or found a job, often staying at home.
Rines shows it's never too late to learn. She married young and moved to California with her twin daughters. As a single mother, she worked in court transcription and secretarial roles. She balanced work with raising her children.
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Rines moved back East when her daughters were seven. At 36, she started classes at Quincy College, earning an associate degree. However, full-time work made it hard to continue.
She restarted her studies in 2013 at Harvard Extension School. But life intervened again. After her mother passed away in 2015, Rines, who had been her primary caretaker, needed a break. She knew she wanted to finish but needed time.
In 2022, something changed. Rines felt compelled to return to the Extension School. She completed her coursework and will receive a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies this spring.
Her daughter, Karen McCabe, works as an academic adviser at the Extension School. McCabe wanted her mom to finish but knew not to push her. Rines is very determined. McCabe said her mom got a lot from her education, especially in recent years when she had more time and mental space.
McCabe noted that her mother's achievement is special because Rines always stressed the importance of education to her daughters.
"She’s been telling us ‘You will go to college’ since the day we were born," McCabe said.
Rines' belief in education came from her own mother's experience. Her mother was a skilled seamstress who taught sewing. But without a college degree, she couldn't get a raise. Rines didn't want her daughters to face similar limitations.
Rines believes her return to school has made her daughters proud. She said they love learning and were excited to see her exploring new ideas.
One challenge was technology. Rines joked that she "drove them crazy" asking for help with computers. She didn't grow up with technology and was afraid to make mistakes.
Most students in Rines' classes were much younger. She initially felt unsure but found it rewarding when classmates responded positively to her discussion posts. They often told her she offered new perspectives.
Now that she's done with school, Rines plans to continue volunteering and taking classes at her local senior center. She wants to try dance and writing. She and her daughters are also planning a cross-country road trip to celebrate.
