[img] http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ht_michael_nicholson_jef_120615_wg.jpg[/img]
[quote]
Every June, students all over the country don their caps and gowns for graduation. Whether it's from high school, college or graduate school, most people could easily count their own graduations on one hand.
But not 71-year-old Michael Nicholson of Kalamazoo, Mich. Nicholson has earned 29 degrees and is now pursuing his 30th.
"I just stayed in school and took menial jobs to pay for the education and just made a point of getting more degrees and eventually I retired so that I could go full-time to school," Nicholson told ABCNews.com.
"It's stimulation to go to the class, look at the material that's required and meet the teacher and students. It makes life interesting for me," he said. "Otherwise, things would be pretty dull."
Nicholson has one bachelor's degree, two associate's degrees, 22 master's degrees, three specialist degrees and one doctoral degree.
Most of the degrees are related to education such as educational leadership, library science and school psychology, but other degrees include home economics, health education and law enforcement.
Nicholson is currently working on a master's degree in criminal justice.
"I would like to get to 33 or 34. I'm almost there," he said. "When I complete that, I'll feel like I've completed my basic education. After that, if I'm still alive -- that would take me to 80 or 81 -- I would then be free to pursue any type of degree."
Nicholson's early interest in education came from the encouragement of his parents, who wanted him to be well-educated. His Canadian father was forced to drop out of school after the third grade to work and his mother graduated from high school.
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"We were motivated to continue with our educations and go as far as we could go," he said of himself and his siblings. "She [his mother] wanted something better for us than simply working at a factory, so she kept doing the necessary for us to continue."
Nicholson's first degree was a bachelor's in religious education from William Tyndale College in Michigan
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in 1963.
Five degrees later, he was pursuing his doctorate in education from Western Michigan University in 1978.
While pursuing the doctorate, he met Western
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Michigan University Professor Tom Carey when Nicholson was working as a parking lot attendant writing tickets for the university. He wrote Carey three tickets in one day and the two have now known each other for 35 years.
"I've had 18,000 students in class and I've never heard of anybody like this," Carey told ABCNews.com. "He's the ultimate life-long learner. I marvel at his tenacity to go to school."
Nicholson has earned all of his degrees; none of them have been honorary or awarded degrees. Though Carey was never Nicholson's professor, the two meet at least once a year for Nicholson to give Carey an updated resume, which he shows students in his classes.
"He's intrinsically motivated. It's unique, but it almost sounds bizarre," Carey said. "Some people collect animals and he collects tassels."
And collect tassels he does. Nicholson has been to 28 of his 29 graduation ceremonies.
What does he enjoy about the graduation ceremonies? "Just the pomp and circumstance. ... I could do without the speeches," he said with a laugh.
"Eventually, it became getting as many as I could," he said. "There's the excitement of graduation, but the overall objective was to get the degree."
He has earned degrees from a dozen schools in places including Michigan, Texas, Indiana and Canada, and he always goes to class.[/quote]
[url]http://abcnews.go.com/US/michigan-man-29-college-degrees-stopping/story?id=16597200#.T-HytNXa7Sv[/url]
neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd
[quote] "I would not take an Internet class. That's far too difficult," Nicholson said. "I'm not one of those all-A students."
He still works on a typewriter and his wife Sharon Nicholson helps him type up his assignments. His wife is highly educated in her own right, with seven degrees of her own.
"She helps me with my homework all the time," he said. "I cannot function on a computer, so she has to do it."
[/quote]
sounds like the wife is the brains.
Those student loans...
By the time he finishes his 'basic' education, he'll be too old for any job to hire him.
But good for him, really, not everyone commits to their goals and is as dedicated as this man.
I think this is a statement about today's job market. The guy has over 20 different degrees and still hasn't found a good enough job to make him want to stop furthering his education.
[QUOTE=bluesky;36413916]I think this is a statement about today's job market. The guy has over 20 different degrees and still hasn't found a good enough job to make him want to stop furthering his education.[/QUOTE]
He's not looking for a different job
hes happy to just stay in school and learn
That whole album is fucking gold and explains what so many people face coming out of college.
I'm a college dropout myself, and after working for about 5 months I can honestly say that I still don't know what I want to do with my life
I was going to go back to college in the fall but I already owe about 3,700 in loans
[QUOTE=peterson;36413897]Those student loans...[/QUOTE]
when he started college tuition and loan interest rates were far lower, I assume when he got older it got higher but I guess his retirement fund helps out.
I'd want to die if I heard pomp and circumstance that many times
Talk about being overqualified...
[QUOTE=Lol-Nade;36413945]I'm a college dropout myself, and after working for about 5 months I can honestly say that I still don't know what I want to do with my life
I was going to go back to college in the fall but I already owe about 3,700 in loans[/QUOTE]
I have an uncle who is 50+, and when asked, he still replies he doesn't know what he wants to do
Everyone has the same problem, just go with something before it's too late!
you would think he'd at least try to get a degree in computers.
Can't operate a computer, would it kill to take a basic info-tech class?
[QUOTE=Lol-Nade;36413902]By the time he finishes his 'basic' education, he'll be too old for any job to hire him.
But good for him, really, not everyone commits to their goals and is as dedicated as this man.[/QUOTE]
He's retired, and obviously doesn't want to quit schooling
[QUOTE=bluesky;36413916]I think this is a statement about today's job market. The guy has over 20 different degrees and still hasn't found a good enough job to make him want to stop furthering his education.[/QUOTE]
Education should not be purely to further a career path. Education is to develop enquiring and creative minds that contribute original ideas.
[url]http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html[/url]
I'd like to have a chat with him one day.
He's bound to be filled with wisdom
Er... So just his wife supports them, or does he have a part-time job, too?
[QUOTE=Mister Sandman;36415606][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk9LK7YCfN0[/media][/QUOTE]
His blank face at the end with his small pupils gets me every time.
[QUOTE=mopman999;36415800]He's retired, and obviously doesn't want to quit schooling[/QUOTE]
Yes I know, I read the article. I was just saying that a man with 29+ degrees would be VERY valuable and sought out for.
[QUOTE=Lol-Nade;36418793]Yes I know, I read the article. I was just saying that a man with 29+ degrees would be VERY valuable and sought out for.[/QUOTE]
Yea, if he was about 40 years younger and had experience, then every company would want him.
[QUOTE=bluesky;36413916]I think this is a statement about today's job market. The guy has over 20 different degrees and still hasn't found a good enough job to make him want to stop furthering his education.[/QUOTE]
this is a statement on your ability to read
in Celsius or Fahrenheit
:downs:
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