Graduating After 47 Years: A Journey at UC Davis

SACRAMENTO, California – On Saturday morning, hundreds of undergraduates at UC Davis will celebrate their graduation at the Golden 1 Center. Among them is 66-year-old Ron Austin, who is proud to finally earn his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science after a journey of over 47 years.

Austin, who hails from Fairfield, California, reflects on his life as a cautionary tale for first-year students. He urges them to fully utilize the university’s resources. “You have plans that brought you here. It will be easy to get off track and distracted,” he said.

In 1977, Austin stood out as a high school football star in Vallejo, California. With financial aid from UC Davis, he became the first in his family to attend college. He aspired to earn his degree and secure a better life for his mother, who raised eight children alone.

However, the sport that opened doors for him soon diverted his academic path. As a senior, he was invited to try out for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. After being released by the Montreal Alouettes, he returned home without a degree. “It wasn’t ‘What do I need to get that degree?’ It was go and get a job,” Austin recalled.

Unbeknownst to him, he was only seven units away from completing his degree. He faced challenges in seeking help and guidance during his college years, which contributed to his prolonged absence from academia.

Austin’s career included roles as a management trainee and an appraisal coordinator, but the savings-and-loan crisis of the 1980s ended his employment. Following a period of delivering home appliances, a serious injury two years ago prompted his wife to encourage him to retire.

While attending an Aggie football game, Austin discovered how close he was to graduation. The College of Letters and Science staff collaborated with a faculty sponsor, creating an internship that included writing a research paper on first-generation student struggles and speaking to new students in the STaR program.

His wife, Deborah Thompson Austin, who graduated from UC Davis in 1987, expressed pride in her husband’s achievement. “He is inspiring others to go back and complete their degrees as well as inspiring undergraduates to utilize the university’s resources,” she said.

The couple met during their university years and married in 1993. UC Davis will hold five undergraduate commencement ceremonies from Friday through Sunday as part of the school’s graduation festivities.