61-Year-Old Mom Of 4 Graduates College With Youngest Son

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Jeanine went back to school in 2009 to get a degree in child development while working 3 jobs.

For Jeanine Dinsmore, college graduation is a day that she has long been waiting for.

“It’s different when you’re 27 than when you’re 61,” said Jeanine. “There’s a lot of difference because my way of learning has been different than his.”

The 61-year-old Mom of 4 is referring to her 27-year-old son Joshua, who is also graduating this year. 

The two are students together at Sacramento State.

Jeanine hasn’t been in school since she graduated high school back  in 1974 and she returned in 2009 to get a degree in child development, while working 3 jobs.

“Most of the people in my classes, whether it was community college or here, are in their 20-somethings,” said Jeanine. “I’m old enough to their mom. Some of them, their grandma!”

But graduating with her youngest son will be the highlight.

“It was not planned!” said Joshua.

Joshua did help his Mom with homework and proofreading essays. 

The English major started at community college, with the intention of transferring to UC Davis to become an entomologist. When he realized he wanted to switch majors, he transferred to Sac State instead.

“Every now and then, we’d run into each other on campus,” said Joshua. “I [said hi] but I tried not to make it so obvious that she was my mother!”

“I made a promise I wasn’t going to embarrass him,” laughed Jeanine. “So if he wanted to talk to me, he could say hi.”

Even though it could’ve been embarrassing going to college with his Mom, it’s evident that Joshua is so proud of his mother, as she is of him.

She is even the reason he somewhat reluctantly agreed to do an interview!

“He said ‘Mom I’ll do it for you because it’s Mother’s Day,” said Jeanine.