When most people are thinking about retirement, Joyce Marshall is thinking about a new career.
Marshall, who is 71 years old, is currently a junior at Saint Leo, studying at the Madison Center located in Madison, Florida. Madison is located approximately three hours away from University Campus, near the Florida-Georgia border.
Saint Leo University is home to more than 15,000 students. At University Campus in Saint Leo, Florida, the Fall Semester of 2015 had 2,370 students enrolled. So where does the 15,000 come from? Saint Leo has more than 40 education centers throughout the country and the Online Learning Program. Students enrolled are from all over the world, all 50 states and 87 countries.
Marshall just moved to Lake City where she resides with her husband, two cats, and dog. In her free time she enjoys gardening with her husband. They are vegetarians, growing and eating all of their own food. Some of her favorites include fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and broccoli.
She has spent the last 25 years working in Nuclear Medicine Technology, and then decided that it was time for a career change. She attended North Florida Community College for her associate’s degree before moving on to Saint Leo for her bachelor’s in Human Services.
The career that Marshall had in Nuclear Medicine Technology was for the benefit of the doctors, but she wanted a career where she could help benefit others. She wants to make an impact on society.
“Based on who I am and how I feel about society I need to be there with people who are disadvantaged,” Marshall said.
She believes that everyone has needs, and sometimes people need to seek help from others to get answers to her problems. That is what Marshall hopes to do after graduating from Saint Leo. She wants to help people get answers to their problems and to find what is missing in their lives; she wants to make a positive impact on society.
After having a full career and now making a drastic change Marshall has advice she’d like to give for any other adults wanting to get back to school to get an education or make a career change.
“[Don’t] procrastinate, if you want something than go for it! If not there will always be the little voice in the back of your mind saying ‘I should’ve done this’ or ‘I should’ve done that,’” said Marshall as a tip she could give to those people. “If you feel something should be done then you need to start doing that. You’re never to old to start getting an education for a career. The biggest problem people need to overcome is breaking down barriers in their own minds. In the end you’ll be able to look back and say ‘I did it.’”
The only regret that Joyce Marshall has is that she didn’t do this sooner.
