Long before remote learning became the norm, Marie Oickle earned her Laurentian sociology degree from home, while raising three children and managing a small business.
When she graduated in 1990 Marie was 56 years old. While she was already managing the Best Western Georgian Inn in Parry Sound at that time, she said it was important for her to return to school and expand her understanding of the world.
“It’s done a great deal for me, even though I never actually went out and got a job with anything,” she said. “To this day, I read a book differently. I understand the news better.”
When she studied at Laurentian in the 1980s the Internet was still in its infancy. But she was able to complete her coursework by correspondence and even followed some lectures on television.
Occasionally, some of her professors travelled to Parry Sound, where they gave lectures at a local high school.
Today Marie’s love of the arts lives on through painting -- a hobby she picked up in her 30s.