86-Year-Old Loves College So Much That She's Taken the Same Class for 36 Years

A woman named Ann Dilley is taking the term “career student” to an entirely new level.

After graduating from a Connecticut college in 1950, Dilley moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband, where she heard a life-changing speech that sent her back to school, according to WZZM.

“I went to a presentation at the Grand Rapids Art Museum where Beverly spoke,” said Dilley, referring to Beverly Seley, a metalsmithing professor at Grand Valley State University. “I loved hearing about it so much, I became a student of it, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Since then, 86-year-old Dilley’s been hard at work in the back of Grand Valley’s metal shopping class, turning old trinkets into fresh jewelry pieces.

“It’s not a hobby; it’s more of a passion,” said Dilley. “I think as one marches along in life, you need a passion because as you get older, a lot of things happen that aren’t particularly pleasant, and this is what keeps me going.”

For her birthday, her family created the Ann Dilley Jewelry/Metalsmithing Scholarship to financially help students who are also interested in jewelry-making craft. As for Ann, she’s open to continuing her classes until she’s 102 or whatever. She’s not picky.