Never too late to learn
Senior resident Tom Kennedy shares his inspiration to go back to college in this second and final installment of stories about seniors’ ability to take college courses for free through a Florida statute
Though Tom Kennedy spent 30 years traveling the globe during his transportation consulting career for several U.S. railways, it is here in America that he has learned Japanese and Russian at the University of South Florida. Though he managed to close global business deals without speaking a country’s mother tongue for years, he realized a desire to know more of the language.
A lifelong friend shared his senior audit experience at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with Kennedy. His attitude that it is never too late to learn had him searching online for senior audit courses. He started attending classes at USF’s Fowler campus in 2019, commuting from his home in the Tampa area.
“I wanted to learn more of the structure and more of the rigors of grammar,” said Kennedy. “I can do a bit better in Japanese than Russian, but I am trying.”
Unlike traditional college courses, the senior audit is all about learning and less about grades, explained Kennedy. Professors are not mandated to mark exams for audited seniors.
“The grade is not the point. The point is understanding the language,” Kennedy said.
Rather than being part of a collective class grade average, life experience is how Kennedy rates among his younger peers. His wisdom and eagerness to participate have been an integral part of each class.
Though he may speak better Japanese, Kennedy’s love of Russia runs deep since he met his wife in Kazakhstan. A couple of Russian courses later, he said they communicate better, which is far more valuable than a letter grade. Do not get Kennedy wrong, though — he is there to learn and grade himself based on international travel that has landed him in 100 different countries.
“If you can manage in downtown Tokyo or Moscow, then you are doing well,” he said.
Florida citizens can attend classes for free at certain colleges and universities in Florida, as long as they are at least 60 years old and meet certain requirements.
A Florida State Statute has allowed seniors to be audited into classes at certain public colleges and universities since 2010. Participating institutions in Greater Tampa Bay include the University of South Florida, Hillsborough Community College, Pasco-Hernando Community College and St. Petersburg College.
Interested? The senior citizen audit application includes completing an online application accompanied by two forms of residency showing prior residency of 12 months. Once a student is accepted, they must contact the respective professor to ask to attend a class. to find out more, head over to our Part One on senior students!
By Angela Underwood
