For nearly four decades, Jackie Gilbert longed to earn a college degree.

Though the Brooklyn, New York, native attended college upon graduating high school, it was a short-lived experiment. She returned home, worked on Wall Street, met her husband, got married, and had four children in six years.

Gilbert’s husband, Tim, encouraged her to return to school while the children were still young, before life’s pace accelerated with school events and extracurricular activities. As she readied for that possibility in 2001, the September 11 terrorist attacks shook her world. Gilbert lost Tim and other family and friends in the tragedy. Her children—then seven, five, three, and two—became her overriding priority.

Two decades later, Gilbert’s son encouraged her to explore returning to school. He directed her to SCPS, and Gilbert enrolled.

Gilbert calls her time at SCPS a transformative experience. It expanded her mind. It stimulated supportive friendships. It ignited confidence and created new possibilities, including a resilience-championing podcast called Luckiest Unlucky Girl.

“I’m leaving a different person,” says Gilbert, who completed her studies in summer 2025 at age 56 and looks to become involved in grief counseling. “I’ve loved stretching myself, stepping outside of my comfort zone, learning, and meeting so many amazing people.”