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Mae A. Beale walked across the stage to accept her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maryland a day after celebrating her 82nd birthday.
After being encouraged by her son in the 90’s to go back to school and get her Bachelor’s Degree, Beale accomplished her goal saying “you’re never too old to learn.”
“I’m feeling excited, happy, energized, all the positive things you can say when you have accomplished your mission,” Beale told NBC4.
According to Beale, she became an event planner years ago after successfully organizing some large events for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Everybody was impressed with it, so I started coordinating their IT information conferences,” Beale said.
“You gotta be intentional, and you gotta keep your eye on your prize. Not their prize, but your prize,” Beale encouraged. “And you don’t ever ever let people deter you. Because people always wanna tell you what to do, how to do, when to do…but you have to do you.”
University of Maryland graduate proves “age ain’t nothing but a number”
Beale has been an activist in Maryland for nearly 50 years and serves as a member of several boards. In March 2016, she was inducted into the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame and received the Associated Black Charities’ 2016 Women on the Move Award six months later.
In 2012 she was awarded the Howard County Lifetime Achievement Award, and that same year she was a volunteer in Howard County for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.
In 1994, Beale established her own event planning business, In Grand Style, and began working toward her associate degree in business management at Howard Community College. Beale then enrolled at the University of Maryland to work towards her now earned Bachelor’s Degree.
“I was like the tortoise. Slow and steady wins the race,” Beale said.
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