Waite, DuncanThompson, Nancy Dunn2023-12-062023-12-062006-12Thompson, N.D. (2006). A study of the stories of women in the workforce who completed their undergraduate degrees after the age of forty: Every day is a journey, and every day is a gift (Unpublished dissertation). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.https://hdl.handle.net/10877/17472Feminist inquiry and heuristic inquiry were combined in this retrospective, qualitative study to examine life experiences of six women 60 years of age and older who returned to school and completed a bachelor's degree after the age of forty and who were currently employed. The research revealed that women who return to earn an undergraduate degree at mid-life may secure better paying positions, increase their income and increase their future retirement income. In addition, the research suggested that events and experiences can bring women to question their roles and this conflict may become a point of reorganization of self and a transition into a new phase of life with higher self-esteem.Text210 pages1 file (.pdf)enadult college studentsmiddle-aged womenhigher educationwomenDissertation