90-Year-Old Woman Becomes Oldest To Earn Master's Degree At University

At 90 years old, Minnie Payne is the oldest person to earn a master's degree at the University of North Texas. Payne, who earned her undergraduate degree when she was 73, finished a master's program in interdisciplinary studies and will walk across the stage to accept her degree accompanied by her grandson.

Payne didn't get a chance to finish college growing up. After just one year of junior college, Payne got a job. Then, she got married and had kids, leaving no time to complete her education.

Once she retired, she didn't want to sit around and do nothing. Instead, she decided to finish college.

"I always wanted to improve myself. When I retired at age 68, I wasn't doing anything constructive. And it's my philosophy to constantly be doing something constructive," Payne told KTVT.

Payne said that she plans to put her master's degree to use and recently got a job working for a magazine in Houston.

"It's not my intention to stop work," she said.