While most SAL members are traditional college students between the ages of 18 and 22, we welcome many non-traditional students who meet our criteria as well. The Browns were two such members who recently graduated from Youngstown State University at the ages of 67 and 56. Their story of success is one that inspires students of all ages to overcome obstacles to obtain an education.
In 2007, Darlene Brown read an article about a man in his 60’s who graduated from Youngstown State University. She suggested to her husband, Harold, that he could do the same. They both decided to enroll at the university. After obtaining their high school transcripts in order to enroll, they found that their GPAs from high school were low, with Harold’s being 2.41 and Darlene’s being 1.90. However, they did not let that stop them. They took general courses for their first two semesters and, after receiving good grades, decided to both pursue a degree in Social Work.
During her studies, Darlene had to have both her right and left knees replaced. She had the surgeries during her summer breaks and was back to school each Fall. Both Darlene and Harold went straight through the four and three-quarter years it took to graduate. They put in the time needed to study and did very well in all their classes.
In the Summer of 2013, the Browns were able to graduate from Youngstown State University together. Darlene received a B.S.W. in Social Work. She had a GPA of 3.8 in her major and a cumulative GPA of 3.4. She was a member of three other scholastic societies in addition to SAL and also made the Dean’s List three times as well as receiving the Mary Ferry Scholarship twice. Harold decided to only get an A.A.S. in Social Work but took extra classes so that he could graduate with his wife. He finished with a 3.32 G.P.A., made the Dean’s List twice, and was a member of several other organizations in addition to SAL.
Sigma Alpha Lambda would like to congratulate Harold and Darlene Brown on their accomplishments and wish them the best in their future endeavors!
