Ann Laubstein, an 85-year-old retired Carleton University linguistics professor, has earned her fifth university degree and shows no signs of stopping. She received a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Mental Health from Carleton on June 11, marking the first graduation ceremony she chose to attend after skipping four others, including one for her PhD.
Why She Finally Attended Graduation
Laubstein explained that she previously found graduation ceremonies uninteresting, but this time she felt she had worked too hard to miss it. The crowd gave her a standing ovation when her name was called, drowning out the announcement that she graduated with High Distinction.
A Challenging Journey
Laubstein noted that writing her PhD thesis in linguistics was easier than passing a physics course, which was the last requirement for her latest degree. She took one course per semester as a special student, balancing studies with kayaking, tennis, and skiing.
Her son, Stuart, said professors and attendees cheered for her, and many grandmothers approached her afterward, amazed by her achievement.
Inspiration to Others
Carleton neuroscience professor Kim Hellemans, who taught Laubstein over a decade ago, described her as having a "joie de vivre." Hellemans noted that Laubstein's dedication was widely recognized within the university community.
Laubstein pursued neuroscience not as a challenge, but out of curiosity about the brain and phonological structures in speech production. After retiring in 2006, she planned to travel and become fluent in Russian, Spanish, Greek, and German. However, hearing loss affected her ability to learn languages, leading her to explore neuroscience instead.
Despite the demands of her studies, Laubstein says she intends to sign up for more courses in the future.
