A 71-year-old man has just received his diploma from the University of British Columbia (UBC) after enrolling in 1969.
When Arthur Ross enrolled in UBC, he was not “particularly focused on anything,” he told the BBC. After joining a theatre club, however, he discovered his passion for acting and the theatre.
This pushed him to switch courses two years later and move to Montreal to study at the National Theatre School.
Upon receiving his certificate of accomplishment, Ross decided he did not want acting to become his entire career.
He said, “I decided, ‘well maybe I should go to law school and become a lawyer,’ sort of that last resort for everybody who can't quite figure out what they want to do."
In order to apply for law school, Ross needed three years of schooling. He decided to go back to UBC to do another year of classes before being accepted into the University of Toronto’s (U of T) law school. He received his Juris Doctor from U of T and continued to have a successful law career until his retirement, 35 years later.
After retiring, Ross decided to finish the degree he began over 50 years earlier.
"It had always been in the back of my mind that, 'oh, maybe someday you'll go back to university and start working on finishing that degree.'"
Ross decided to study one course at a time and focus on history. This was due to his interest in World War I, which he developed after watching Elekra, a 1901 German opera.
His return to UBC was a completely different experience than the one he had in 1969. For one, he was able to complete some classes online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The campus is also bigger now and his tuition is free as he is a retired senior.
"It's a waste not to take the opportunity to study something, anything, that is of interest to you… here, the opportunity has presented itself to me, and I have enjoyed it."
Finally, after six years of studying towards his degree, Ross has graduated in front of his family, including his children. “I have been to all of my children's graduations," he said. He was happy to have the chance to be celebrated by them instead.
When asked about the next chapter of his life, Ross said he’s not rushing to plan anything new. He said, “I am pleased to have come this far.” His daughter, however, says he should “really should go off and pursue a master's degree somewhere."
When speaking to UBC for a press release, he said “The headline on your story should be ‘UBC finally graduates its slowest student.’”
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