Guest columnist Lucy Chang Evans: You're never too old to learn new things

If you can remember the 1986 movie "Back to School" with Rodney Dangerfield, you might be in my age group. In the movie, Dangerfield plays Thornton Mellon, a rich old man who talks his son out of dropping out of college by going back to school with him. Hilarity ensues. In January of 2020, I went back to school to earn a master's degree in business administration. I wondered if I would struggle like Thornton Mellon in my academic pursuits. I was 47 years old and had been out of school since 1995. I wasn't even sure if I still knew how to study.

With three school-age kids and a full-time engineering job, I knew I needed an academic program with flexibility. I chose an online MBA program through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I started school part-time, taking only one class.

I loved the experience so much that after the first two months, I quit my job to dedicate myself to the program full-time. The day after I quit, pandemic shutdowns affected my family. My kids were home from school and my husband was home from work. The five of us were stuck in the house waiting for the "three-week shutdown" to be over.

Of course, we all know the three-week shutdown turned into more than a year. All of us were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and many of us lost loved ones to the virus. Our relationships at home were strained. Our community started bickering over masks and vaccines, and we busied ourselves with jigsaw puzzles and sourdough bread.

This was the backdrop of my academic journey. Amazingly, the COVID shutdown didn't slow down my education at all. I had always attended classes on Zoom, but now my professors taught their classes from home instead of the production studio. Witnessing online education innovation and adaptation was incredible.

I had always wondered what magical skills were taught in an MBA that turned graduates into six-figure money-making machines. I looked forward to cashing in my golden ticket and collecting bigger paychecks after graduating. So what was in my degree? I learned about economics, business strategy, marketing, statistics, investments, entrepreneurship, corporate finance, and leadership.

But more importantly, I met kindred learners from all over the world. My network has exploded, and my horizons have expanded. That big salary? That will have to wait. During the course of my MBA, I also learned how to add purpose to my work, and I decided to run for public office.

On Nov. 8, 2022, I earned a seat on the DuPage County Board. As a county board member, I am earning a lower salary than I did when I graduated from college in 1995, but it feels good putting my new knowledge, skills, and abilities to use as an elected public servant.

On Dec. 16, 2022, I drove to Urbana-Champaign to receive my master's degree in business administration from the Gies College of Business. This was a triumph for me. Most people graduate from the MBA program in two years, but it took me three.

The needs of my family and the disruption of running for political office pushed back the finish line of my degree. I turned 50 this year. I used to think I was too old to go back to college, but I now realize that age really is just a number. You're never too old to learn new things.

• Lucy Chang Evans, of Naperville, is a civil engineer, former Secret Service agent and recently elected member of the DuPage County Board. This essay is a response to an invitation for members of our editorial advisory Sounding Board to share some of their thoughts at the approach of the New Year.