Meet Michael Mensman a 78-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army who returned to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2021 to finish his degree after an extended break. Not all paths are linear. Mensman’s academic journey began in 1982 when he enrolled part-time at the University.
During this time, he was forced to put his plans on hold to attend to his family. However, his drive to learn new things kept him coming back over the years. Mensman says that General Studies allowed him to explore his interests, especially his science courses.
“What I know now about plants, I never dreamed of how intricate and sophisticated they are,” said Mensman. “So inside, it makes me happy to know these things.”
His joy for learning is rooted in discovery and excitement, driving his belief in the power of education at any age. Mensman’s advice for others thinking about continuing their education is to take that leap. There’s always enough time.
"There will be older people that want to come back to school, maybe not for general studies, maybe for math or science or English or whatever. But whatever they come back for will broaden them,” he said.
Curiosity continues to fuel Mensman’s pursuit of knowledge. His lifelong commitment to learning and growth has shaped his path and kept him moving forward. Looking ahead, Mensman says he hopes to return to UL Lafayette as a graduate student and continue his academic journey.
“I don’t actually believe I’ll ever leave UL Lafayette until I just can’t make it anymore,” said Mensman. “I hope that’ll be a long time from now, but I'm not leaving.”
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