A 71-year-old woman enters college to study childcare

"On the long-awaited day of the entrance ceremony, my daughter, who became my guardian, came to celebrate, holding a large bouquet of freesias. Truly, life is worth living, even if you live it differently." This is part of an essay written by Jeon Gyeong-ja, who was admitted last month to Shin Ansan University's Department of Childcare at the age of 71 as a freshman in the class of 2025.

Jeon was unable to attend middle and high school due to her family's financial difficulties during her childhood. It wasn't until after she had raised her children and retired that she recalled something a teacher had once told her in elementary school: "You are a very good writer."

From that moment, Jeon began writing. She even published two poetry collections and won several awards, including the 2021 Korean Literature Work of the Year Award and a bronze prize at the 2023 Local Literature Awards from the Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Writers' Association. She also resumed her studies, passing the middle school equivalency exam and discovering the joy of learning through a two-year program at Suwon Kyemyung High School. "I didn't exactly give up, but since I never had a chance to study before, I've often shed tears of sorrow throughout my life," Jeon said. "I didn't want to have any regrets, so even though it's late, I have dedicated myself to studying."

As a late-blooming student, Jeon had a strong desire to give back to her community. That's why she enrolled in the Department of Childcare at Shin Ansan University. "Jeon was also accepted to a four-year university's creative writing department, but she chose our university because she wanted to study child development and read age-appropriate books to children," Professor Hong Eun-sook, the department chair, explained.

"I believe that if I earn a childcare teacher certification and read books to children, the rest of my life will be even happier—because children are the future of our country," Jeon said. "I'm also really looking forward to the campus life and all the fun experiences like student retreats."


Ye-Na Choi yena@donga.com