Never too late: A degree 40 years in the making

A first-generation college student from a military family, Deborah "Dee" Hopkins enrolled at Heidelberg in 1977. She stayed for two years and then went back home.

“When I came here, it was a lot for me to get used to, being from a large city,” she says.

Then life happened. She got married and raised three children. Along the way, she had every intention of finishing school – even taking classes from time to time when she could fit them in.

Fast forward 40 years, and Dee has returned to campus to finish her bachelor's degree at the place she started it.

It's been a long and winding road, but come May, Dee plans to walk across the stage to receive her diploma with classmates who are younger than her children. Her story is an inspiration to all non-traditional students who have never let go of their higher education dreams.