In their 70s, brother, sister earn degrees after 40-year journey
Originally Published: 09 APR 26 14:48 ET
By Scott McKane
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BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah (KSTU) -- It was a secret they kept even from their family members.
A pair of Box Elder County siblings in their 70s is about to achieve a milestone no one saw coming.
Stephen Ball and his sister, Bonnie Jean Ashby, have always been close, said Bonnie Jean as she showed off old photos of the two.
“I’m a baby, like I say, we’re 15 months apart in age," she said.
Later this month, Stephen, who is 77, and Bobbie Jean, now 76, will don caps and gowns and receive college degrees from Utah State University.
It’s a graduation that’s more than four decades in the making.
Right out of high school, Bonnie Jean had two scholarships to Utah State, but got married and became a full-time mom. She first tried to resume college in the early 1980s, but it was difficult.
“I had five kids and a foster daughter at the time,” she said.
After completing a few classes, Bonnie Jean had twins, and a couple more decades passed by. It wasn't until earlier this year that she became determined to enroll again and learned she only needed one more credit hour. That’s when a university advisor stepped in.
“And he says, 'You know what? Just let her graduate with what she has.' So I had enough credits 40 years ago, it just never happened," Bonnie Jean explained. "So I told my brother, guess what? I’m graduating! And he’s like, 'I wonder if I can graduate?'”
In a friendly bit of sibling rivalry, Stephen decided to check into his own credit allocation and wound up with a similar, pleasant surprise.
After years of working, raising his family and taking occasional classes, Stephen learned he also had enough credits for an associate's degree.
“So they turned it into the advancement committee, and they said, sure," Stephen recalled. "I didn’t even have to take another class.”
The brother and sister will walk together at the end of this month to receive their degrees. All of it came as a pleasant surprise to their families, which, between them, number nearly 90 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Stephen said the family reaction was super positive, and Bonnie knows it’ll be a perfect ending to a very long journey.
“...we just love each other, and I’m excited we get to do this together,” said Bonnie.
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