At 82 years old, Mary Anne Winfield walked across the stage at the New York State Fair Exposition Center as a member of the class of 2024, becoming the oldest graduate in the history of Le Moyne College. You would think that would satisfy her thirst for knowledge, but it instead confirmed her relationship with learning and with the college she has loved for decades.
“I’ve been attending Le Moyne for 100 years,” she joked during an interview. Winfield’s studies began in the 1960’s at Nazareth College and the University of Michigan, focusing on education and philosophy. Once her husband completed his graduate work, they expanded their family and settled down in Syracuse. Winfield began teaching religious education through their parish’s Jail Ministry program.
When challenged with the question, “How do we get better teachers?” her answer came quickly. “Train them.” She recognized that many of the instructors lacked formal classroom skills. When Le Moyne established a summer program to train teachers, she enrolled. That was when she says she “got hooked on the Jesuits and Le Moyne.”
Winfield kept busy with her family and went on to start two businesses, Syracuse Magazine and Winfield Ink, all while picking up a few classes over the years. College was always in the background, but life often took priority.
The goal of completing her degree remained ever-present, and with her family’s support, she returned to Le Moyne in 2019 after serving on the college’s Board of Regents. She pursued religious studies, carefully selecting courses that fascinated her. “If I had to take a math course, I was never coming back,” she laughed.
Still, returning to the classroom as a student after years away was nerve-racking. Winfield worried about how she would blend in, how she would relate to students much younger than herself.
She was once mistaken for the professor, but soon felt embraced by fellow students. “I just loved being around them,” she said.
She made a conscious effort not to dominate classroom discussions, even though her vast life experiences could offer valuable insight. “I was very quiet in class,” she said, wanting to respect the space and perspectives of younger students.
Winfield found today’s students “exciting” and deeply engaged in their studies. Yet the least appealing and noticeable difference between generations would be smart phones.
“They’d walk out of class, and every single one of them pulled out their phone,” she observed. “Nobody walked with anyone or talked with anyone.” It was a small but striking reminder of how much campus life has changed.
When asked what earning her degree meant personally, Winfield downplayed the fanfare. “I didn’t think of it as a big finale,” she said. Others did. Her children, friends, and the College community encouraged her to walk at commencement.
One memory that stands out most is taking her final class with a professor she deeply respected, Sean Kirst. She described the experience as a fitting conclusion to her college career, not just because of the subject matter, but because of the mutual respect in the classroom.
She also credits her first-ever poetry course with introducing her to a new creative outlet, which became an unexpected joy:
“I took a poetry class, I’d never taken a poetry class, and now I’m writing poetry.”
Today, her life after graduation is quieter but no less purposeful. She spends time with family and friends, plays golf, attends book reviews, and continues to write and is contemplating publishing her own poems.
“Never stop learning,” she said. “That’s what they tell you. It’s true.”
Reflecting on her Le Moyne experience in a single thought, Winfield said, “I’m just glad that I started and ended in some ways there. I went a little bit aside, but I felt welcome and very supported. It was extremely worthwhile. I just think Jesuit education is excellent, and I’m glad to be a Dolphin.”
Mary Anne Winfield’s approach to obtaining her degree was slow and steady. As she put it, “You need 20 years to learn, 20 years to earn, and 20 years to return.” Returning reunited her with the love of writing, being in the classroom, and proving that it is never too late to finish.
