Ann Laubstein graduates with fifth university degree at 85
The retired Carleton linguistics professor earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Mental Health on June 11, graduating with High Distinction.
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Ann Laubstein crossed the stage at Carleton University on June 11 to receive her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Mental Health—her fifth university degree. The 85-year-old retired linguistics professor said she had worked too hard to skip this graduation ceremony, unlike four previous ones.
"Writing my thesis for my (linguistics) PhD was not as hard as passing a physics course," Laubstein quipped, calling physics the last course she needed to complete her latest degree's requirements. When her name was called, the crowd's collective roar was so loud it muffled the announcement that she had graduated with High Distinction.
As a special student, Laubstein took one course per semester while continuing to enjoy kayaking, tennis, and skiing. Kim Hellemans, a Carleton neuroscience professor who taught Laubstein over a decade ago, described her as someone with a "joie de vivre." The standing ovation Laubstein received at convocation provided a glimpse of how her hard work in completing a degree in her golden years had been noticed within the Carleton community.
"I couldn't see friends, go out, or attend events because I was too busy," Laubstein said, adding that attending the graduation ceremony and celebrating at home was her way of making it up to them.