Graduation 2026: The mature students proving it’s never too late to learn
By: Communications
Two mature students have proved that determination and perseverance can turn even the longest-held dreams of higher education into reality after graduating from UEA.
Mike Marshall, 69, and Tony Pearse, 63, both returned to education later in life to pursue their passion for history. Though their journeys were very different, both were shaped by significant personal challenges and lifelong ambitions that once seemed out of reach.
Norwich-born Mike enrolled on UEA's Modern History course in 2023, more than a decade after retiring from successful careers in both the army and the police.
Growing up in a council house as one of eight children, he watched UEA being built near his childhood home, only to now walk across its graduating stage as a student many decades later.
Tony, who lives in Harleston, Norfolk, has finally achieved his dream of further education after it was interrupted more than 45 years ago. After having to set aside his university plans as a teenager due to family financial circumstances, he eventually returned to full-time study at the age of 60.
Beginning his degree following a period of serious illness, including diagnoses of Parkinson's disease and dementia, Tony has overcome considerable health challenges to graduate with his Modern History degree – becoming the first member of his family to complete higher education.
You’ve both achieved a lifelong dream by completing your degrees – how does it feel to finally graduate?
Tony: Studying again gave me purpose. It reminded me that life doesn’t stop at 60. It gave me confidence, connection, and meaning during the hardest years of my life.
I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Walking across that graduation stage will be one of the proudest moments of my life.
Mike: If you had told me a few years ago before I took UEA’s ‘How to Learn at University Level’ course that I’d be standing here today with a history degree, I might not have believed you.
Coming back to education as a mature student was daunting but today feels like the ultimate validation. It feels brilliant to know that the hard work paid off and that the dream I had for so long is finally a reality.
What message would you give to anyone thinking it’s ‘too late’ to start higher education?
Mike: Don't let age hold you back. If you have the passion to learn, the university will provide the tools. Three years ago, I was unsure if I could handle university level study, and today I'm graduating with a degree I’ve wanted my entire adult life.
If I can do it, you can too. Dive in, you won't regret it.
Tony: It’s never too late. Don’t be scared, you have nothing to fear. There are so many people here to help you. I have Parkinson’s and dementia, and without the support of the UEA, I wouldn’t have done this.
Tell us about a UEA moment you’ll always treasure.
Tony: I'll miss being part of an awesome, international, multicultural, multi-faith, and gender-fluid community. It has been the greatest of privileges to be part of this community; I will certainly never forget it. From the early-morning sleepy bus ride to trying to stay awake in the individual study rooms in the library, I'll miss the part that university finally played in my life.
But what I'll miss the most is an early autumn morning walk beside the UEA Broad with tea in hand, watching as the leaves turn and looking back to the Ziggurats as the sun catches the windows. Impostor syndrome defeated, I did actually belong here!
Mike: A memory I will always treasure is the sheer relief and joy of getting my very first assignment grade back. I was incredibly nervous; I had never written an academic essay before starting the course, and I honestly wondered if I ever could.
However, when a low 2:1 popped up on my screen I was absolutely ecstatic, it felt like a massive victory. But what makes that memory so special is looking at it alongside my very last assignment, where I achieved a mid-first.
Seeing those two marks side-by-side, three years apart, perfectly captures my time at UEA. It represents an immense amount of personal growth, proving that with the right support, you never stop learning and improving.
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