Begin again

Trisha Jean Davis didn't take a straight road to college. She left school after 10th grade, married at 16 and by 28 was a single mom. At 30, she earned her GED and joined the United States Air Force Reserves, building on service that spanned the Army and the Air Force. At 45, she completed an associate degree in nursing, became an RN and remarried. On her 62nd birthday, she chose to fulfill a childhood dream: move to Alaska with her 87-year-old mother. At 63 she discovered evening classes at Kenai Peninsula College's (KPC) Kachemak Bay Campus (KBC). She matriculated at 69; 10 years later, she stood at the spring 2024 commencement as valedictorian, having just completed her B.A. in history.

As inspiring as Trisha is for others, she draws her own inspiration from her mother. Growing up during the Great Depression, Trisha's mother put work and family first when necessity left little room for school. She never gave up on education, earning her high school diploma at age 21. That quiet persistence - pursuing learning when life said "not now" - became the standard Trisha carried into every season of her life. It's also what made their move to Alaska a shared adventure: a daughter following a lifelong dream with the woman who first modeled resilience.

The path wasn't easy. Trisha had to commute 45 minutes each way to campus while balancing a large, multigenerational family - five children, 22 grandchildren and 49 great-grandchildren. However, she always made time to uplift others. On Wednesdays, she organized free lunches in the Learning Center that sparked impromptu study groups and everyday connections among students, faculty and staff. Trisha was the classmate known for sharing discoveries and for showing up with homemade cranberry nut bread that could turn strangers into friends.

That spirit of service and scholarship is why KBC recognized her with the prestigious Director's Award, an honor bestowed on graduates who are studious, community-minded and tirelessly committed to the college and broader community.

Trisha said it best herself: "If I can do this, imagine what you can do." She reminded others that "you're never too old to reach for your dreams, or too old to learn." In her family, that belief is already multiplying. "Nicole, a granddaughter, is in premed at 39," she said, "and Cathy, a daughter-in-law, started the path to becoming a PA at 46." Learning alongside younger students, Trisha found energy and exchange: "They are amazing to listen to. I learn from them and they from me."

What Trisha found at KBC is what many adult learners need: welcoming classrooms, flexible options, advisors who honor prior experience and a campus that believes in you when you might not believe in yourself. Her parting advice to the next wave of learners was playful and serious at once: "Stay silly. Adventure seriously. Live curiously."

After graduating, one of Trisha's daughters gave her a Tom Brady quote that she now holds dear and uses often: "I didn't come this far to only come this far." Now at 81, Trisha is pursuing her master's in interdisciplinary studies, researching intergenerational trauma. If she can start at 63, you can start today - one class, one term, one milestone at a time. Explore what's possible at KPC's Kachemak Bay Campus .