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When Michele Gray Cobham moved to Washington, D.C., after graduating from high school in New York City, she had dreams of playing on the women’s basketball team at the University of Maryland and studying physical education. Unfortunately, her dreams were shattered when she injured both of her knees in an accident, and she decided to leave school.

Cobham attended secretarial school and started working as a secretary for the federal government. That soon evolved into a 25-year position as a computer specialist for the National Library of Medicine. Cobham later held other roles in computer training and automation, most recently with a pharmaceutical company before she retired in fall of 2023.

To celebrate her retirement and 50-year career, Cobham decided it was finally time to complete her college degree. Now living in Bermuda Dunes, California, she had seen commercials for the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) many times. She applied and, shortly after, began classes at �Ҹ������� during the fall 2023 semester.

More than 50 years after first starting college, Cobham walked across the stage at UMGC’s Grad Walk to accept her Associate of Arts degree on Mother’s Day, surrounded by her family.

“It's always been on my bucket list to go back to school and to get a degree but sometimes life gets in the way,” Cobham explained.

Cobham’s started at UMGC with an introductory Spanish course, inspired to learn and use the language in the Coachella Valley of Southern California. She also was required to take Program and Career Exploration in Communication and Humanities—better known as PACE 11C. Although Cobham was hesitant about taking the exploratory course for perspective job seekers, it was where she ended up meeting her favorite instructor.

“She was a dedicated student, always striving for successful completion of her assignments, open to suggestions and feedback,” said �Ҹ������� adjunct instructor Pershail Young, associate vice president of Academic Pathways. “She was also a natural leader when it came to group assignments and making sure her group worked collaboratively together to finish their work as well as enjoy the process.”

“It was a pleasure to work with her and I appreciate her determination and participation in the class,” Young added.

Young also went out of her way to assist Cobham in finding a college level examination program (CLEP) to take in California so she could get college credit and skip the introductory computer class. Since Cobham had so much computer experience, the CLEP exam pushed her forward on her degree path.

Grateful for all Young had done to help her, Cobham nominated the instructor for a Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence Award, UMGC’s highest faculty honor.

Among her course load, Cobham said she also enjoyed African American History: Introduction to African American Studies (AASP 201), which included aspects of Black history in Maryland. “It forced me to go back and use things that I remembered from when I lived in Maryland … and it was a lot of fun,” Cobham explained. The Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WMST 200) course had a significant impact on Cobham, and she also remains in touch with the professor.

With her retirement ambition to earn a degree now behind her, Cobham plans to spend more time with her grandchildren, travel and take some art classes.

With her 50 years of professional experience and a new associate degree, Cobham had advice for current �Ҹ������� students.

“My advice will be the same advice I gave in the PACE class, which is ‘never quit,’” Cobham said. “Always know that you can come back and do it. I walked across the stage, something I wish I had been able to do 50 years ago, and you can too.”