For one FDC educator, age is nothing but a number when it comes to more study

Rebecca McDonald, an experienced early childhood education and care (ECEC) professional with more than seven years experience running her own family day care (FDC) business, and 15 years in the sector overall, is setting new paths for herself and her family, heading to university in her 50s. 

 

 

Ms McDonald is the first person in her family to pursue a university degree, and is one of the  1.3 per cent of Australian students aged between 50 and 75 who were studying at University in 2023, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

 

The ABC recently shared her story, an extract of which appears below. 

 

Having worked closely with children and families for a number of years, Ms McDonald had developed an interest in speech pathology, and with her body aging, running around after small children was becoming increasingly challenging, leaving her to consider her other options. 

 

Her pathway to tertiary education included visiting her local CQUniversity campus in Rockhampton and enrolling in a bridging program called STEPS, which gave her a taste of what a full undergraduate university degree would be like.

 

“It was a good lead up to it,” she shared with the ABC. “[I thought] ‘Can I do it? Have I got time? Do I want to study?’ And I learned in STEPS that … I could do it,” she said.

 

While she’s making good progress, further study hasn’t come without its challenges, and there have been moments of doubt. 

 

“I would say half the time I’m enjoying it and then half the time I am anxious about what’s coming up,” she said.

 

“In regards to assessment, tests, we have quizzes … workbooks that we’ve got to complete before units.”

 

Her inspiration is visualising herself crossing the stage in a black gown at graduation, and reminding herself that she deserves to be there, and to do well. 

 

Fellow student Louise Geal, also in her 50s, would recommend anyone who is older and is interested in further study to jump right in. 

 

“It was a big learning curve … learning how to actually attend a Zoom meeting was big for me,” Ms Geal said, but she is now feeling more confident, and is working with people at many stages of the learning process, from just out of high school, to people with more life experiences such as herself. 

 

“You’re not too old to chase that dream,” she said.

 

“I’m just so pleased in my lifetime that I’ve got the opportunity to do this.”

 

Read the ABC coverage of this story here.