Never Too Late: Nontraditional Student Joyce Young White Earns Graduate Degree

Proving that it’s never too late to pursue a calling, Joyce Young White will fulfill a decades-long dream this December when she receives her master’s degree in health education and promotion from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

White, who grew up in Helena and now lives in North Little Rock, returned to college nearly 28 years after putting her education on hold to focus on work and family. She previously earned a bachelor’s degree in health education and promotion from UA Little Rock, along with associate degrees from Phillips County Community College and UA Little Rock.

“I wasn’t able to go to college right after high school, but my desire for knowledge never wavered,” White said. “As soon as I could juggle family, work, and school, I went for it.”

Her path to becoming a UA Little Rock Trojan began in the winter of 1977, when two recruiters visited her community college to speak with students about a summer program. White said she had always believed in her ability to learn but faced limited career options during that era.

“That innate desire to further my education remained a burning desire within me, regardless of the type of employment available that utilized my skills,” she said. “The opportunity to return to school presented itself a few years later, but after several semesters of juggling family and work, I realized I was headed for total burnout.”

She put her education on hold — a pause that lasted nearly 28 years.

“During that time, I witnessed the power of God opening and closing doors and revealing my true passion, which evolved into health care advocacy for the elderly,” she said.

Eventually, White returned to school and completed her bachelor’s degree. Still, she doubted whether graduate school was realistic.

“Graduate school seemed to be an unattainable dream, but God had better plans,” she said. “I found myself surrounded by a support system of encouragement.”

The road was not easy. White faced serious health concerns and other hardships but said her 94-year-old mentor kept her grounded.

“She always said, ‘They can take your car, your house, and just about anything else, but they can never take away your education,’” she said.

While studying full time, White landed what she called her dream job in private health care, working with patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

“I got real-world application concurrent with classroom training and knowledge,” she said. “In addition to learning, I got hands-on training and a critique of my craft.”

Her job came to a heartbreaking end when she and her client contracted COVID-19, and her client died. White continues to experience long-term effects from the illness, but she persisted in her studies.

“Being a nontraditional senior citizen, this journey has been one of the most demanding, difficult, rewarding, and spirit-filled paths I will ever take,” she said.

White struggled in her early graduate courses, at one point walking across campus in the snow, crying as she searched for help with an assignment.

“I wasn’t ready to give up so easily or that early,” she said.

Support from faculty helped her push forward. She remembers a professor commending her performance on a difficult exam, which gave her renewed confidence.

“My self-confidence rose to new heights, and I began to approach all my classes with a positive attitude,” she said. “Those encouragements became my incentive to always give it my best.”

Throughout her coursework, White said she learned to view healing as a holistic concept that encompasses all dimensions of wellness. She also developed skills in qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis, which she successfully applied in defending her thesis.

Qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis combines insights from multiple qualitative studies to build a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of a topic. White’s thesis is titled Prayer for Healing: A Qualitative Interpretative Meta-Synthesis Connecting the Inner Man to the Spirit of God.

White said her mother’s belief in her abilities helped sustain her throughout the journey. Others, including mentors, professors, and friends, served as “voices of reason” who guided her through the challenges.

“It is because of each of them that I endeavored this journey, and because of their faith in my ability that I finished a very long and rocky road,” she said. “All my professors were exceptional, and my committee was phenomenal.”

Now on the verge of earning her master’s degree, White hopes her story inspires others to continue learning at any age.

“I’ve been blessed to do what I wanted to do, and as an older adult, I want to be a role model for those who seek to better themselves through education and training,” she said.

White credits the university with helping her build confidence and chart a new direction.

“UA Little Rock provided me with the formal education to pursue a better life,” she said. “The skills and knowledge I gained gave me a sense of direction that became exciting and very rewarding.”