The Optimist

During May, many seniors are filled with the excitement of graduation plans, parties and diplomas.

MaryLou McKissick is graduating and has all the more reason to be excited about graduation. She is 74 years old, and that makes her a graduating senior citizen.

Earning a degree in applied studies, McKissick is already retired and says earning a degree is just fulfilling a life-long dream.

"My husband and I married, and two years later we went to [the] mission field in Africa. I didn't get to go to college, and I always had a dream of going to college," McKissick said.

After about 50 years on the mission field, the McKissicks returned to Abilene so Mr. McKissick could get a master's degree and Mrs. McKissick could start work at ACU.

She worked with Dr. Charles Siburt, vice president for church relations, and also took her first college course, Life and Teachings of Jesus, with him in 1992.

"When I started, I was looking at it as something that would help me with my work at ACU, but I'm retired now, and I just have the blessing in knowing that I got to sit in on some wonderful classes. I've loved every one of them," she said.

McKissick has taken one or two courses at a time over a span of 15 years.

"I love it so, and I love the professors, and I've loved getting to know the students," she said.

Dr. Neal Coates, assistant professor of political science, has had McKissick in his States and the Federal System class this semester. Coates said the other students in his class reacted to McKissick like she was any other student.

"She speaks up, she joins conversations, and she is just as lively as anybody else," he said. He said she loves to learn and studies as hard as any student at ACU.

"She is young and vivacious at heart, and she makes coming to class fun," Coates said.

Coates presented her with flowers in his class Wednesday since his class is the last class she'll have as a student.

McKissick is not only graduating with a 4.0 GPA, but she is also graduating with her grandson, Jeremy McKissick, senior interior design major from Boerne.

"She's been in school for most of my life, and I think it's really cool that we're graduating at the same time," he said.

Jeremy said his grandmother would make lunch for him and his friends every Sunday afternoon, even while taking classes and teaching piano lessons.

"She's an around-the-clock worker," he said. "And [she's] such an inspiration to me and my friends. She's an amazing lady."

e-mail Smith at: eds04c@acu.edu

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