Masters at Fifty-Five

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It was true, she had an entire family very early in her life. She had her first, my uncle Jim, at eighteen and had her last child at twenty-eight. There were three other children in between her first and last, one being my mother, Cynthia. I had always wondered why she never finished school back when she was younger and perhaps more age appropriate to be in a University. This was answered for me when she says, “School was cut short for me when your uncle John was discovered, her second eldest son, because I had already had one kid and that was tough enough so with a second child on the way I knew I needed to make money now and not later. I regretted that decision for a long time because I knew I was capable of so much more.” I knew the feeling, this was the exact same thing I felt when taking my two years off after high school. Hearing her say that just strengthened the bond I have with my grandmother. Knowing why she left school back when she first was enrolled gave me a clearer understanding of why when she finally got back into school she was so determined to finish and get on with the life she planned for so many years ago.

Grades are a very important aspect when it comes to achieving goals in your career. Because this is true getting good grades provides an overwhelming amount of anxiety to the average person. My grandma was no exception, she spent most of her time studying and the rest of the time doing homework. She even says she might have studied to an excess just because she was frightened of failing or even just getting anything less than excellent. I was amazed by this because she had no one breathing down her back about having to get her work done and to study upwards of five hours a day. She did all this due to her will to achieve and excel in her surroundings but when asked if she was always like this she quickly retorted, “Of course not, I was a C+ student at best when I was in school in the late 50s but that’s why I knew I had to push myself that much harder. I didn’t want to fall behind and have people think it’s because of my age so I didn’t just achieve, I over-achieved.” I couldn’t believe she was anything less than an A+ student because the person I know is usually the smartest person in the room and the most dedicated when it comes to work. In a way it was perhaps a good thing that she waited to finish her education and graduate because all those years in between somehow changed her into the hard, focused worker that she is today and without that change, she probably wouldn’t be such an influential person in the field of orthopedic therapy.

Her story is one of perseverance and dedication to bettering one’s life and lifestyle. My grandma, Cheryl Cantillon, looked at what she had and she looked at what she wanted and decided that she needed to take the extra step. That extra step involved over five years of further education and countless testing in pursuit of being a fully licensed orthopedic therapist. No matter the adversity she faced she didn’t falter in her resolve to finish. No matter how much anxiety she was filled with she made sure to stay focused on what was important.This is a story I draw inspiration from because if my grandma at such an age can find the motivation to push herself through college and become so influential I know that I should be able to do the same.

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