Mattie Frascella will receive her Bachelor of Arts in English from Kennesaw State University this May, just weeks after turning 63. She spent the past four years attending classes with students much younger than herself while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and participating in the Keeping Sights Upward Journey Honors College.
Frascella’s achievement is notable as she returns to higher education decades after leaving high school early and obtaining her GED. After raising five children and working in office management and healthcare, she decided to enroll at Kennesaw State University following her family’s move to Marietta during the pandemic.
“I’ve always believed if you’re not moving, if you’re not going forward, if you’re not learning, then you get stuck,” said Frascella, who is also a Gilman Scholar. She described adjusting to new technology as a challenge but embraced it alongside her love for printed materials. Initially majoring in human services, she discovered a passion for language that led her to English studies.
Frascella shared classrooms with much younger peers but found camaraderie among them. “I would walk into a classroom, and I’m the oldest person there, oftentimes even older than the professor,” she said with a laugh. “But the students have been incredibly gracious. I’ve made friends. I’ve had students over to my house, and we’ve done study sessions.” Her academic experience included research work under Abigail Alexander and studying abroad for the first time at age 62 through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
Her journey was marked by personal challenges as well; after being diagnosed with epilepsy following brain injuries in 2024, she remained determined to finish her degree. Frascella follows other women in her family who pursued higher education later in life: “It’s surreal,” she said about graduating. “I want my kids to be proud of me, and I also hope my story helps someone else realize they can do it too.” Looking ahead, Frascella plans to begin graduate studies in integrated global communication this fall.
