(RNN) - An 80-year-old woman earned a doctoral degree from the University of Florida on Friday.
Barbara Matusik turned 80 in March. A trip to the Grand Canyon led to her decision to return to school and seek a PhD in historic preservation, according to WCJB.
She already had a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, and a master’s degree in Museum Studies from the university in Gainesville, earning both more than 40 years after finishing high school.
Matusik said she plans to pursue consulting work, and is a proud Gator.
"I'm a Gator through and through," she said. "It was exciting and a challenge."
Florida’s president said that watching an 80 year old walk across the stage was a first for him.
“I’ve seen people in their 60s, but I’ve never seen someone who had celebrated her 80th birthday,” President Kent Fuchs told WCJB.
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