Photo: Darren Handschuh

Kim O'Neill said going back to school was the best decision she has ever made.

Kim O'Neill admits to a huge case of nerves as she prepared to return to school.

While being a little anxious on the first day of school is normal, for O'Neill it was the first day of school in many years.

In her late 30s, O'Neill decided to go back to college and on Tuesday, the 41 year old graduated from Okanagan College an Associate of Arts degree.

But the two-year program does not mark the end of her schooling as she now plans to get her Bachelors of Social Work.

The First Nations mother said going back to school was the best thing she has ever done.

“It was the best time of my life,” she said while adorned in a black robe prior to the graduation ceremony at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.

“I was nervous when I started. It was very intimidating,” she said. “But I made lots of friends and in my first year of school, my son and I sat next to each other.”

Not only did O'Neill receive a a classroom education, but she learned a lot about the younger generation, some of the struggles they face and their determination to achieve their goals.

“Some of them are working two jobs and carrying a full course load. They really are amazing,” she said of her younger peers.

And what advice does a 41-year-old mother have for someone thinking of returning to school at a mature age?

“Do it. Go for it. I do not think you will regret it,” she said.