“If you don’t try, you’ll never know.” 71-Year-Old Fulfills Lifelong Dream, Graduates with Highest Honors
Maryann Wickemeyer couldn’t help but hold back tears as she surveyed her fellow graduates at Commencement. She was astounded by their shared success, recognizing that most were decades younger than her.
At 71, Wickemeyer achieved a lifelong goal—graduating summa cum laude from the DeSales ACCESS program with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, concentrating in theology, history, and philosophy.
Unlike most of her classmates, Wickemeyer didn’t pursue a degree for the sake of advancing in her profession. She did it because she’d always wanted to, and so that she could become a better version of herself.
“My whole life I’ve valued education,” she says. “I think more education gives you the confidence and the ability to look at every aspect of a situation or life differently.”
Wickemeyer wanted to earn a degree when she was younger, but life interrupted in the form of marriage, kids, and other personal matters. Despite how busy she became, her desire to further her education never disappeared.
“When I retired in 2016 from my one job, something nagged me, and I thought ‘what can I do with the rest of my life?’ So, I talked to God about what to do. … It always came back that I wanted to finish my degree.”
Wickemeyer was nervous about pursuing her dream. She worried it wouldn’t be financially feasible, and that she wouldn’t have the mental ability to succeed. Everything changed when she made an appointment with Dave Achenbach, academic advisor, to learn more about DeSales. At this first meeting, she felt as though God had sent her there, and she’d arrived home. This sentiment only grew stronger throughout her college journey.
“It wasn’t just an institution,” she says. “It was like I was home with family and we all had the same goal in mind. All of my professors, even the ones I thought were tough, turned out to be absolutely amazing. I tell people to go to DeSales because it’s like this precious hidden gem.”
Initially, Wickemeyer considered enrolling as a traditional day student. As she examined her options with Achenbach, she realized the ACCESS program better suited her work schedule and other responsibilities, including volunteer work at the Catholic Charities soup kitchen, as a Eucharistic minister at Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg, and teaching PREP/CCD at her church.
“Maryann knew what she wanted and wouldn’t let anything hold her back,” says Achenbach. “Her passion, drive, and determination were so incredible, and she didn’t shy away from difficult courses. Most of her major courses were upper-level courses.”
Wickemeyer ended up enjoying the challenging pace and the flexibility to build a degree around her interests. It was this passion for her subjects along with her determination to excel that she attributes to her success.
When asked what’s next on the horizon, Wickemeyer laughs and calls graduating a “tough act to follow at 71.” For now, she plans on continuing to take courses, work, spend time with her family, and volunteer within her community. Having achieved her lifelong goal, she encourages others to do the same.
“When life gets in the way, it happens, but don’t let it wipe out your dream completely,” she says. “I had a lot of personal problems and at one point I didn’t think there would be any chance of returning to college. But I didn’t let the fire go out. Even if you think it is impossible to do, it isn’t, as long as you really want to do it. There are only two options—you’ll either pass or fail. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.”