‘Never give up’: Central State grad’s degree took 65 years, but she never gave up dream

WILBERFORCE, Ohio (WDTN) — Sixty-five years, start to finish. That is how long it took 2024 Central State graduate Arline Flournoy to complete her degree.

“I wasn’t doing this for any attention,” said Flournoy. “I needed to do this for myself.”

Her college journey began in 1959. Flournoy was involved on campus, even being named “Most Photogenic Co-ed” and joining Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

But after her second year, she left campus for financial reasons with no immediate plans to return.

“The usual: you get married, you have children, and they go to college,” she said. “They have their careers, and everything is put on the backburner.”

That all changed with the pandemic in 2020. She and her husband were living in Florida, and she realized there was a chance to finish what she had begun more than six decades before. Except this time – virtually.

“It was a little bit frightening because I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.

Flournoy said her motivation was stronger than ever.

“My daughter came to me and said, ‘Mom, your mother got her degree, I got my degree.’” she said. “My granddaughter will be a sophomore at NYU, and I would love for her to say we have four generations of strong Black women with their degrees.

“I knew I had to bridge that link.”

Flournoy walked across the stage on May 11, 2024, to receive her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. She said it was very gratifying getting to finally close that chapter of her life.

“I was starting to swell up then because this was it,” said Flournoy. “This was the beginning of how I knew I would have felt even back in ‘63. It was just a very, very wonderful feeling.”

After getting her degree at 82, she says to anyone watching: It’s never too late.

“If this is something someone really wants to do, the determination has to be within themselves,” she said. “Never give up. Never stop dreaming.”

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