I get tired of “under 40” lists. Show me someone who got their PhD at 60 after losing everything. Give me the 70-year-old debut novelist who writes from a lifetime of love and grief. Give me calloused hands and tender hearts.

When I taught English as a foreign language, one of my students was a 74-year old Russian immigrant who decided it's never too late to move across the world, learn a new language, and start a new life.

I knew her for less than a month, and I still think of her 10+ years later.

My aunt went to uni at 50+ she was conned out of her business but continued to study while looking after her family until she had her masters and finally wrote her first novel at 70+

I was laid off 2008 after 26y on job. Started bachelors 2009, graduated hons 2013. Started PhD 2014 at 51 yrs old, expect to graduate next year at 57. Before was nervous wreck even introing myself in a group. Now teaching classes.
Learned so much and grown so much as a person.