User:Ktstucky

On May 14, 2007, Nola (Hill) Ochs became a Guinness World Record holder as the world's oldest college graduate when she received her diploma at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in Hays, KS. She earned a general studies degree with an emphasis in history, graduating alongside her granddaughter, Alexandra Ochs, who was 21 years old at the time. A native of Jetmore, KS, Nola took her first college class from FHSU in 1930 when the university was called the Kansas State College. Nola and her husband, Vernon Ochs, raised four sons (who have given her 13 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren) on the family farm. She picked up taking college courses again from Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, KS after her husband of 39 years passed away in 1972. After learning that she was only 30 hours shy of a bachelor’s degree, Nola moved over 100 miles from the family farm to an FHSU university apartment in Hays, KS to finish her degree. During her first year at Fort Hays, Nola told news reporters that after she graduated, she wanted to be a storyteller on a cruise ship. Among her many notable accomplishments, Nola was named the 2007 Kansas Woman Leader of the Year, and was given her diploma by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Features on Nola aired on The Early Show, MSNBC, and CBS News among others. She even earned a spot on The Tonight Show one week after she graduated, sharing a laugh with Jay Leno. After graduation, Princess Cruises hired her as a guest lecturer on a nine-day Caribbean cruise. She shared the adventure with her granddaughter, Alexandra. After taking time to help with the family wheat harvest, Nola started pursuing her master’s degree in liberal studies from Fort Hays State University in August 2007. After a long, happy life, Nola, one of the world’s most famous life-long learners, passed away October 13, 2008.