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Meet two students who have embraced the adage that learning聽happens at any age. And while they 麻豆精品 S檙e decades apart, they share the聽same ambition: completing a degree. One is a future cosmetic surgeon聽who finished high school before she could even get a driver 麻豆精品 S檚 license; the聽other is working toward completing her third UCF degree this May and聽is passionate about exploring new subjects.

Get a glimpse into their lives, their college experiences and what聽comes next.

Jamie Gunera Amador

AGE: 15

MAJOR: Biotechnology with a聽minor in biology

ANTICIPATED GRADUATION:听2025

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FAVORITE CLASS AND聽PROFESSOR: Biology with聽(assistant research scientist)聽Melinda Donnelly. She 麻豆精品 S檚 a聽great teacher.

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FUN FACT: Since first grade,聽I told my older sister that I was聽going to graduate high school聽with her 麻豆精品 S� she 麻豆精品 S檚 three years older聽than me. I started doing high聽school classes in second grade.聽Then I saw my sister start dual聽enrollment. I thought it would be聽fun, so I followed in her footsteps聽and enrolled in classes at Valencia聽College. In May 2020, both my聽sister and I graduated high school,聽and now we 麻豆精品 S檙e at UCF together.

PIECE OF ADVICE: Check out聽campus and RateMyProfessor.com before signing up for聽classes. Also, while education聽is important, there 麻豆精品 S檚 more to life聽than just studying. Try to balance聽out your personal life with your聽studies.

WHAT 麻豆精品 S橲 NEXT?: Medical school.聽I 麻豆精品 S檝e always wanted to be a doctor.聽And now that I 麻豆精品 S檝e had some聽time to explore the different聽professions, I decided聽on becoming a plastic surgeon.聽I 麻豆精品 S檇 also love to stay around the聽area and be close to family.

Mary Franke ’12 ’17MBA

AGE: 75

MAJOR: Psychology

ANTICIPATED GRADUATION:聽May 2022

COURSE MODALITY: I prefer聽being around the other students聽and faculty. But since the聽pandemic, I 麻豆精品 S檝e been primarily聽taking classes online. And while聽it 麻豆精品 S檚 been great, I 麻豆精品 S檓 looking聽forward to the day I can go back聽to campus.

WHY UCF: After completing my聽associate of applied science in聽paralegal studies from Valencia聽College, I wanted to finish my聽bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree to complement聽my work as a paralegal. Several聽years later, I came back and earned聽my MBA. Achieving a 尘补蝉迟别谤 麻豆精品 S檚听诲别驳谤别别 was an opportunity to聽prove to myself that I could do it.聽My current program, psychology,聽is something I 麻豆精品 S檝e been interested聽in, and I thought, 麻豆精品 S淲hy not? 麻豆精品 S�

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WHAT 麻豆精品 S橲 IT LIKE BEING聽AN OLDER STUDENT?: I like聽interacting with younger聽students 麻豆精品 S� it keeps me young.聽I enjoy the opportunity to be in聽study groups with students of all聽ages and hear their side of things聽 麻豆精品 S� why they 麻豆精品 S檙e going to school and聽getting a degree in a certain field.聽I 麻豆精品 S檝e met so many people during聽my time here.

FUN FACT: My family is full聽of Knights. My brother went聽to school when it was Florida聽Technological University. My聽daughter has a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree聽in computer science from UCF,聽and her husband is also a UCF聽grad. Hopefully my grandson聽will become a Knight soon, too.

PIECE OF ADVICE: Appreciate聽what you 麻豆精品 S檙e learning. College is聽more than just getting through聽the class to move on to the next聽thing. Enjoy the journey, and聽take the time to grasp what you 麻豆精品 S檙e聽taught 麻豆精品 S� and use it through life.

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