At the age of 15, Kristin Maillard became pregnant. She knew that she had to make sacrifices to raise her son, and leaving school prematurely was her only solution.

For a few years, Kristin would try to return to her studies but was never able to complete her education. When she landed a job that provided her with benefits and allowed her to be home in the evening with her son, she stopped pursuing her high school diploma.

After working for 11 years, Kristin became unemployed. Inspired by the words of her grandfather, Kristin found the motivation to start studying again and enrolled in a distance education course through the Independent Learning Centre (www.ILC.org). “I scheduled time to study,” says Kristin. “Whether I wanted to study or not, I knew that I had to sit down for two hours and work. But studying independently meant I could determine when and where those two hours of studying happened.” The positive feedback she received from her teachers, friends and family kept her going, and at the age of 39, she completed her high school education. The ILC hosted its annual graduation ceremony last fall and celebrated adult learners from across the province. Sarah Irwin, ILC managing director, spoke at the ceremony: “You are part of an enormous community of adult learners, because learning can, and often must, happen at any age.

The ILC is proud to be involved in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's International Adult Learners Week and to celebrate learners like you and like Kristin whose unwavering optimism is inspiring and refreshing.”

When Kristin addressed her fellow graduates, she shared her grandfather's advice: “When you are feeling that opportunities have passed you by and that it is too late, never forget what you have accomplished today. Like my grandfather used to say, although the best time to plant a tree may have been 30 years ago, the second best time is today.”