Bonnie Paterson is 66 years of age and she wants everyone to know that it’s never too late to experience the amazing rewards of study.

Bonnie is one of 45 Gladstone locals to graduate from this year’s Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS) program through Central Queensland University.

STEPS is a free, pre-university preparatory program, aimed for adults over 18 years of age, that helps prepare potential applicants for tertiary study.

Bonnie Paterson recently graduated from STEPS and said she wanted everyone to know just how amazing the program was and hoped that her story encouraged as many people as possible to give it a go. Bonnie said she first heard about STEPS a few years ago when a graduate of the program came to fix a work computer at her family business.

“Gino Zussino had completed the STEPS program and had gone on to get a degree in Information Technology and was running his own computer business.

“We spoke about STEPS and at the time I remember thinking that it was a great thing he had done, but at the same time it wasn’t for me. “But a couple of years later my husband passed away and all of a sudden I realised I’d missed the train. I’d found myself on my own with all this nervous energy, just twiddling my thumbs.

“Like most ladies of my generation I had devoted my life to my family and all of a sudden I was in a situation where I had to find something to do for me and I’m no good at golf.

“Then one day out of the blue, I remembered the conversation I’d had with Gino. Then I remembered a story I’d read on Grace Johansen (a STEPS graduate who became the eldest Gladstone student to earn her PhD) and for some reason I started thinking that if they could do it, maybe I could too.

Mrs Paterson said she’d left school at aged 15 and doubted whether she would be able to cope with the study and even worried that she was too old for the program.

“I approached my family and said that I was thinking about doing STEPS, expecting them to laugh at me, but I couldn’t have been met with a better reception!” said Bonnie.

With the support of her family, Bonnie went along to an information session and found out that she wasn’t too old and seven months later she has graduated from the program and is hoping to begin a Bachelor of Arts in 2006.

“I’m not going to say it wasn’t a lot of hard work, but it was honestly the best thing I’ve ever done. The confidence I’ve gained from the program is amazing as are the friendships I’ve formed with people from all different ages.

“I’m going to miss STEPS so much, I’m going to miss the phone ringing every night with classmates ringing to talk about what we’re doing, but on the other hand, now I’ve got an Arts degree to look forward to,” said Bonnie.

Anyone interested in enrolling in STEPS for 2006 should contact Lynne Campbell at the Gladstone campus on 4970 7277.