"No matter what you do, learning never stops," said Pat Ormond, who received a bachelors degree in anthropology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) on Nov. 20. At 74, she is a living example of what she says. She graduated alongside her 22-year-old granddaughter Melody. After completing one semester of college in 1978 in Atlanta, Ga., Ormond dropped out to move to Tennessee, and then spent the ensuing decades working as an accountant and raising a family. she had always intended to go back and finish her degree, and, after retiring, her family's encouragement compelled her to. Pre-pandemic, although she and Melody didn't run into each other on campus much, Melody recalled, "One of her classes would end at the same time mine would. I would see her and just scream and yell 'Nana!' until I got her attention." During the pandemic, both grandmother and granddaughter adjusted to online classes along with their peers. While graduation day has come and gone, Pat isn't planning to stop anytime soon. She's already working on another bachelor's in history.
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