Centrelink on Phyllis Turner

who obtained a Master's degree in Medicine at the age of 94 :
So, what are you doing today?

Phyllis Turner is an amazing example of a woman who embraces life-long
learning and who demonstrates every day that you're never too old to learn.
At 95 years of age, Phyllis was recently awarded a Masters degree in Medical Science from Adelaide University. This makes her the oldest person in the world
to achieve a Masters degree by research. Her achievements have prompted her proud family to nominate her for the Guinness Book of Records.

Her academic supervisors, Professors Maciej Henneberg and Colin Groves, praise her 'lively
and fresh intellect'. They are now encouraging her to continue studying--to gain a PhD.
The South Australian Government named Phyllis South Australia's Adult Learner of the
Year for 2007.

Phyllis' road to academic success hasn't been easy. She had to leave school when she was
12 years old to help look after her brothers and sisters. Then she married and raised
seven children and two step-children. Phyllis is now a proud great and great-great grandmother.

She's always been a voracious reader and, as a young mother, encouraged her children
to love reading and learning too. From an early age, and despite the busyness involved in raising her own family, her love of reading and learning motivated her to educate herself informally.
Her self-education was so successful that she topped the essay exam when, aged 70,
she applied to study at Adelaide University.

Part-way through her first degree, Phyllis was awarded a scholarship to study at the University of California in San Diego. In California, Phyllis lived by herself in student accommodation and acted as a mentor for many younger students. When she returned to Australia she completed her degree at the Australian National University in Canberra and then completed her Honours degree in anthropology when she was 90 years old.

Phyllis says her studies have always been fun. Her family says they often seemed 'preoccupying' and 'exhausting' but Phyllis' love of learning has always motivated her.

When she started her thesis, she travelled to university by bus each week with her notes and books in a shopping trolley. Her daughter, Anne, remembers that she worked on an old Macintosh computer. However, as her thesis became more complex, the university funded a helper for her who would transcribe and key her notes. Phyllis would rise early in the morning, read and take notes, and then write her thesis in the afternoon.

Her achievements are extraordinary and Phyllis is in demand for media interviews and television appearances. She has given interviews to local and international media and is also on YouTube.

All this however was not without some levity. At one stage she presented her student ticket
to gain admission to a cinema. When refused, she trotted out her pension card.

Phyllis' achievements demonstrate that, with a love of learning and a positive attitude, you're never too old to achieve. So, what are you doing today?


(via Evolutionary Psychology discussion group. Slight mistake in the story; she was awarded last year when she was 94.)