Patricia Sias Ellis completed her university education after nearly six decades of waiting. The 79-year-old received her criminal justice bachelor’s degree from Clayton State University and walked across the graduation stage this weekend.
She devoted herself to working and raising a family instead of going to college. Her son and spouse both went on to get degrees from Morehouse College. Her own education, nonetheless, remained a distant goal.
“I always knew I wasn’t finished,” Ellis said in an interview with 11 Alive, looking back on a journey that started immediately after high school but unexpectedly paused.
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About eight years ago, though, her son joked that she was wearing out his couch by watching soap operas, which stirred up her enthusiasm.
After his suggestion that she attend school, Ellis quickly registered at Atlanta Metropolitan State College before transferring to Clayton State, where she took classes one or two at a time.
She recounted, “I just kept trudging along. Semester after semester, just doing the work.”
It wasn’t an easy journey. Last year, doctors discovered a 10-pound tumor on her kidney. Despite the operation, Ellis persisted in her will to complete the task she began.
She became a beloved campus figure, a source of delight for faculty and staff and a role model for younger students due to her dedication.
Clayton State University president Dr. Georj Lewis observed, “She lights up the room.”
Meanwhile, Ellis added that returning to college in her 70s has been more fulfilling than she could have dreamed. She has gained friends, a sense of purpose, and a profound love of learning.
“These experiences I should have had at 19 or 20 years old, they are the same at 79 years old,” she remarked. “I’ve had the best time.”
She isn’t ruling out any options for her future, even going after a master’s degree. At the moment, however, she is concentrating on applying her expertise to assist others in understanding their rights and the legal system.
“I feel like the Lord is blessing me with the best years of my life,” she remarked.
