SHE'S NEVER MISSED A DAY AND SHE'LL GRADUATE AT 80 WITH BACHELOR'S IN RELIGION.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer At 80, Bettymae McKenney can look back on a lifetime of accomplishments, from serving in World War II to providing support for the space program at Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. . On Thursday, she'll add one more achievement: a college diploma. McKenney, of Van Nuys, will receive a bachelor's degree in religious studies from California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , where she found a lot of support. ``The teachers praised me all the time,'' McKenney said. ``I did more homework than anyone else, I came on time, I was never absent.'' CSUN will confer a record 8,676 degrees this year: 7,212 bachelor's degrees and 1,464 master's degrees. Commencement ceremonies begin at 6 p.m. today with the Honors Convocation on the University Club Lawn. Ceremonies for individual schools run through Friday. Local community colleges will have graduation ceremonies on June 8: Los Angeles Valley College LAVC redirects here. For the software library, see libavcodec. The university is adjacent to Grant High School. Often called "Valley College" or simply "Valley" by those who frequent the campus, it opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1949, at which time the campus was begins its ceremony at 4:30 p.m., Mission College at 5 p.m. and Pierce College at 6 p.m. The University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. , holds a number of separate ceremonies on June 19 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at various campus locations. Graduation ceremonies have already been held at the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission , California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) is a university located in Camarillo, California, in California's Ventura County. CSUCI opened in 2002 as the twenty-third campus in the California State University system, succeeding the Ventura County branch campus of , and at California Lutheran University Mission statement The University's mission statement is as follows: "California Lutheran University is a diverse, scholarly community dedicated to excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. . CSUN President Jolene Koester praised all Northridge graduates, many of whom were the first in their families to receive a college diploma. ``Some have juggled two jobs and a full course load. Others have dealt with family obligations - often as single parents - cultural barriers or physical challenges, such as battling cancer,'' she said. ``Some of our students have had to interrupt their studies to serve their country.'' CSUN doesn't keep track of its oldest graduates, but McKenney would be among them. She worked with the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) can refer to:
Women's Army Corps (WAC) U.S. Army unit. It was established (as the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps) by Congress to enlist women for auxiliary noncombat duty in World War II. Its first head was Oveta C. Hobby. during World War II. In 1960, she dropped out of college to work as a secretary for Edwards Air Force Base's space program, handling correspondence between rocket scientist Werner Von Braun and her supervisors. After she retired, her son suggested she go back to college, and she did, graduating from Los Angeles Valley College in 2001 as its oldest graduate. ``I hadn't any idea to go to CSUN, period,'' she said. ``I was happy with finishing (LAVC.)'' Elaine Goodfriend, CSUN religious studies professor, said McKenney's enthusiasm for learning set a good example for younger students. ``A lot of the students are somewhat apathetic and really don't appreciate the opportunity of getting such a good education at such a low cost, but she really relishes that possibility of finally completing a degree,'' Goodfriend said. ``She's always there, and always on the ball.'' Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: With a background in the armed services in World War II and in the space program, Bettymae McKenney will become a CSUN graduate in religious sciences Thursday at age 80. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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