Ethnic Indian awarded degree after 45 yrs in Malaysia

Getting a college degree may seem an ordinary task to most people, but it was different when 62-year-old Gurcharan Kaur, an ethnic Indian Punjabi woman in Malaysia, received her Honours' degree 45 years after dropping out.

But she is elated that she finally earned her degree in Bachelor of Education.

"I believe in the saying 'If there is a will, there is a way'," she said after receiving her degree on Tuesday.

Kaur spent 14 hours daily over weekends for four years to earn the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) degree by waking up at 5 am and then driving 113 km to University Putra Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

It also meant driving another 113 km back home at 8 pm along a winding road that tested even the most experienced drivers. And at 62, it was a daunting task, she acknowledged while receiving her degree.

She said it took her 10 times longer to memorise information compared to fellow undergraduates.

"Although, I had to sacrifice my weekends and be on the road for two hours a day every weekend to attend classes, it was worth it," she said.

Kaur, the second among six siblings was all smiles as she and 1,075 graduates received convocation scrolls from University Putra Malaysia Pro-Chancellor.