Genevieve Healey, an 81-year-od Derby resident, will receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from Southern Connecticut State University on May 18, after 13 years of taking classes part time at the university.
Even with six children, 15 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, Healey found time to study literature, art appreciation and Italian. It may have taken her 13 years of part-time classes, but she said it was time well spent.
Healey took her first college course — an art class at Southern — in 1970. But it wasn’t until a few years after the death of her husband in 1996 that she decided to take classes regularly.
Her late husband, Henry F. Healey Jr., was well known throughout the state as the New Haven County High Sheriff, a position whose responsibilities included the security operations of the county’s state courthouses.
Going Back To School
Healey had been settling her late husband’s estate when she met one day with a friend for lunch.
Her friend was the late Michael J. Adanti, who was then president of the university. “Red,” as she called him, suggested that she take some classes, and she began to do so in 1999.
Healey grew up in an era when higher education was not perceived as a near necessity that it is today.
Not having a college degree did not keep her from a full life, nor did it keep Gov. Ella Grasso from appointing Healey as the first person to lead the state’s affirmative action efforts in Connecticut.
She recalled a mutual respect with other Southern students during her 13 years attending classes at the school.
“This is not a silver spoon school – the students that I have met here have part-time jobs,” Healey said.
She said that they have been incredibly polite to her with young men offering to carry her books to class and young women walking her back to her car after evening classes. “I like them very much,” she said.
Healey added that she was continuously impressed by the students’ intelligence and that the average 18- to 22-year-old today is far more knowledgeable about the world than her generation was at that age.
And this relationship was mutually beneficial.
Frank LaDore, interim director of the Academic Advisement Center, said he has heard from both faculty members and students that a senior citizen brings a new perspective to the classroom.
“You’re not just in a class with 18‑, 19‑, or 20-year-olds,” he said. “You have somebody who’s 60, 70, or 80 years old giving their perspective. It elevates the level of learning.”
“Most of them are not doing this to get a job,” LaDore added. “They’re doing it to learn. And that’s what higher education is founded on, this broad liberal education program.”
Healey will graduate cum laude.
At SCSU’s Honors Convocation on May 6, when President Mary A. Papazian draped the white and yellow-gold cord over Healey’s gown that identifies her as a cum laude graduate, the audience gave her an enthusiastic round of applause.
And when Healey gave the thumbs up sign, the crowd erupted.
Graduation takes place at 10:15 a.m. at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport on Friday, May 18.
Click play on the WTNH video below to see an interview with Healey.
