CANADA | An 87-year-old woman named Varatha Shanmuganathan has made history as the oldest person to earn a master’s degree at York University, Canada. Her achievement is proof of her lifelong dream coming to reality, and that the pursuit of education never has an age limit.
She earned her master’s degree in Political Science with a focus on civil war, a subject close to her heart based on her past experiences from childhood.
Varatha's Story and How She Did It
Born in Velanai, a small village in northern Sri Lanka, Asia, Varatha spent much of her life searching for answers about her country’s painful past. The country experienced a civil war for 26 years, which left nearly 70,000 people dead.
Despite the war, Varatha completed high school and enrolled for a bachelor’s degree at the University of Madras in India. Upon completing her degree, Varatha returned home to teach Indian history and English. But her passion for learning did not stop there.
In 1990, she moved to London to stay with her daughter, and there she earned her first master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of London while teaching English as a second language.
In 2004, she relocated to Canada to be closer to her daughter, who had just earned her MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business. From her daughter, Varatha learned that York University offered free tuition to senior citizens.
Then she saw her chance to pursue her biggest academic goal, a master’s degree in political science.
In 2019, she enrolled at York University at the age of 85 and worked tirelessly through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to complete her studies.
Her research focused on the Sri Lankan civil war and the search for lasting peace, which she has always been passionate about. In 2021, Varatha walked across the stage with 4,000 other graduates, becoming the oldest person to earn a master’s degree in York University’s history.
“It has been interesting. On the first of November, I was just an ordinary lady going about my ordinary life. On the second of November, when I graduated, everything changed,” she told CNN.
The President of York University, Rhonda Lenton, praised her achievement, saying she “represents the best of what York University stands for, i.e, access to education, a commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all, and an unshakable determination to create a better future.”
Despite her achievement, Varatha still wants more. She plans to write a book about post-war Sri Lanka and share her perspective on peace and democracy.
“You should always have a goal in life. Find out what dream you want to follow and pursue it until the end. Think of something that interests you, but is also beneficial to others. Go after it, get it, do it, achieve it,” she said.
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