Meet the great-grandmother about to graduate from Carlow

Nancy Handford-McChesney, 84, says elders can bring ‘wealth of wisdom’ to university education

Nancy Handford-McChesney was praying at a retreat center in the mountains after contracting long COVID in 2020.

The doctors had “pretty much given up” on her. She remembers “everything was shot” by COVID — her heart, lungs, brain, muscles.

But as she prayed, wondering what she should do, she heard the words, “You’ve always wanted to go to college.”

So Ms. Handford-McChesney logged onto a computer and began researching universities where she could take a few painting courses.

Carlow University in Oakland came up first. She spent hours on the application, submitted it and went to bed, thinking, “This is ridiculous.”

But admissions officials at the Catholic school reached out to her, asking to set up time to meet on campus. She obliged, accompanied by her adult son and a thick portfolio. A lifetime of work since her high school years filled a suitcase.

Carlow officials, in masks at the height of the pandemic, encouraged Ms. Handford-McChesney to pursue her master’s degree.

Now, this weekend, the 84-year-old graduates from Carlow with a Master of Arts degree.

“My ambition was just to stay alive,” Ms. Handford-McChesney said. “[Carlow’s faculty] opened up my entire life’s experience of work and said, ‘We want you here. We want you to do it. You belong here. Go.’

“I can’t tell you how life-changing that’s been.”