Student Graduates After More Than 47 Years
Ron Austin’s UC Davis degree—earned 47 years after his first class—shows what’s possible with the right support. His story is helping inspire a regional “Comebacker Campaign,” part of the K–16 Regional Education Collaborative grant that includes UC Davis. Through this effort, partners across the region are building clearer, more connected pathways for returning students of all ages to complete their education and advance their careers.
Austin, a former Aggie football standout, was just seven units shy of graduating when life took him in another direction. Decades later, with help from UC Davis staff and the College of Letters and Science’s STaR Program, he returned to finish what he started—sharing his experience with first-year students and writing about the challenges first-generation students face. His journey reflects the goals of the K–16 initiative: to remove barriers, create opportunities, and support learners at every stage. Read Ron Austin’s story.
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