Never too late to learn

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec.22, 2025) — When Donovan Scholar Lenora McGrath, Ed.D., walked across the stage to receive a Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D) on Friday, she proved there is no cut-off age for learning.

Originally from New Jersey, McGrath, has called Kentucky home for the past 50 years. She spent 44 of those years teaching junior high and high school mathematics.

During her role as a teacher, she also remained a student. She received her master’s degree from the University of Kentucky in 1985 and her long-term goal at the time was to teach math education majors. She began her doctoral course work in 1990 which she completed in 2002. All that remained was her dissertation.

During her doctoral studies, McGrath supervised some student teachers for the UK College of Education and was described as a wonderful and lovely human being.

Courtney Podl teaches high school math in Lexington and is working toward a Master of Science degree in STEM education. Podl was a classmate of McGrath’s and was also supervised by her, describing her as “a huge part of my Teacher Education Program.”

“When my classmates and I were introduced to Lenora, we were in awe of her professional and personal life experiences," Podl said. "She gave us advice, provided great insight during class discussions, and modeled good teaching. When I found out Lenora was supervising me during student teaching, I was thrilled. I was already comfortable with Lenora and trusted her to give me good advice. Each time she observed my teaching, it felt like I had a supporter with me rather than someone grading and judging my early stages of teaching. We always had meetings directly after, with her not only telling me what I could work on but also praising me for what I did well. These experiences helped me build lots of confidence while teaching, making me feel prepared to take over the classroom on my own.”

Those were eventful years  as McGrath completed her course work but adds “a lot of life happened” that required her to take a sabbatical to attend to some personal matters. Her time away lasted longer than she planned so completing her degree was placed on hold.

What prompted her to complete her degree were the words of her children.

“They said to me, mom, you always say when you start something you need to finish it and you’re at the age when you can apply to the Donovan Scholars Program,” McGrath said.

The Donovan Scholars Program, housed in the Office of Lifelong Learning, pays tuition and mandatory course fees for adults age 65 and older taking academic courses at UK. Donovan Scholars may also attend classes simply for the joy of learning but for those working toward a degree, UK admission criteria must be met.

McGrath says she has felt supported from the time she was accepted into the program to completion.

“Trey Adkins, Donovan Scholars registrar, was extremely helpful in helping me navigate entrance into the program and my committee members have been phenomenal. I can’t say enough good things about them or the Donovan Program. I encourage anyone thinking about even going for the enjoyment of a class to investigate that. It’s too good of a program to pass up,” she said.

McGrath says the environment was exciting although she admits to being a little intimidated at first. At 80-years-old, she felt like she was old enough to be some of her classmates’ grandmother. She discovered the age difference became an asset, not a liability.

“Technology is not my thing and I had trouble figuring out the Wi-Fi for a class so I asked for help from a young man sitting next to me. We agreed that he would help me with technology if I helped him with math. That happened in every class I took. Everybody took me under their wing and we shared. I had strengths and experiences they didn’t have and vice versa. There’s just something so wonderful about intergenerational classes.”

Attending the graduation ceremony on Friday and walking the stage was important to McGrath and for her family and friends. When she looks down at the simple but elegant school ring she recently purchased, she is reminded of all that she has accomplished through hard work and the passion she has for learning.

McGrath says her life is far from over, although she doesn’t plan to go back into the classroom.

“I’ve always loved teaching and learning. There’s just something about passing on what you know and helping people to succeed in their careers,” she said. “I don’t know where God is going to lead me but I can see me contributing to professional development for teachers who are in service teachers.

What words of advice would McGrath give to anyone thinking about going back to school?

“You’re never too old or never too young to learn. If there is anything you want to know or a skill you want to improve, there are so many ways to do that and so many people willing to help you.”