As part of Pitzer College’s Inside Out programme in the United States, 30-year-old Yusef Pierce is set to graduate with an honours degree this semester, all while spending his entire academic career – and the last 10 years – in prison. His own journey is inspiring him to become an instructor for incarcerated people, providing them with the necessary education for rebuilding their lives.

After a 54-year break from schooling, 75-year-old Elsie Woodward is set to graduate with her Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from William & Mary College, the same time her granddaughter graduates from the University of Virginia. And, in Singapore, 53-year-old aircraft technician Kamaruddin Salleh was inspired by his wife and children obtaining their degrees to resume his studies, and now graduates from Temasek Polytechnic as valedictorian with a diploma in aerospace engineering.

More programmes are recognising the benefits of lifelong learning and the power of education to improve the lives of people from various backgrounds and stages of life; the common thread of success, however, has been students’ deep drive and passion for self-improvement, and their commitment to the educational path despite challenging and unusual circumstances.