Helen Tiller, a sophomore at UNCW, will celebrate her 82nd birthday Dec. 12. Over the course of her life, she has seen and accomplished many things. Tiller has lived to see the great depression, World War II, the civil rights and feminist movements, the war in Vietnam and many other moments in American history. She is a real estate agent who has been married for 57 years and is the mother of three children.  After a lifetime of working and raising a family, Tiller decided it was time to add something else to her list of accomplishments–a college degree.

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1927, Tiller is the oldest student at UNCW. Throughout her life she has always wanted a degree, but was unable to attend college until now. As a young woman, Tiller’s family did not have the resources to send her to college, so like most young women of the time, Tiller married and started a family. She later became a real estate agent, and with the responsibilities of family and work, set her plans for college aside.

“There were more opportunities then for young men than there were for women, but if you scratched like a cat you could make out,” Tiller said. “It is more equal now. Women are taking harder courses and they are able to study anything they want.”

According to Tiller, the task of being accepted into UNCW was not an easy one. Before she could be admitted as a student, Tiller had to receive her GED–as she never completed high school–as well as take some basic studies courses.

“They had a lot of hoops for me to jump through before they would take me in as a student, but I did all of those and here I am,” Tiller said.

Tiller’s daughter, Amy Tiller, had always known of her mother’s desire to go to college, but was still surprised when she made the decision to go at her age.

“I was amazed at her gumption to go and sit alongside 18- and 19-year-old freshmen and not even be phased by it. She is actually very shy,” Amy Tiller said. “She was determined to not let anything get in her way.”

Despite her age, Tiller is like any other college student in many ways. As a sophomore, she has yet to pin down a major and is currently exploring different academic paths as a University College student.

“It is hard for me to make up my mind on exactly what field to go into. I would really love to have some insight into the business world, but creative writing is such a fun thing to do,” Tiller said.

While Tiller is like other students in some regards, she has her own set of obstacles that are unique. The last time Tiller attended school was the early 1940s, and much has changed since that time. The use of technology is naturally one of the biggest changes. Tiller has had to learn how to navigate sites that the university is largely dependent upon, such as Blackboard and Seaport, as well as adapt to communicating with professors primarily through e-mail. 

Teaching styles also differed during that period, as they largely focused on memorization and recall, as opposed to the active learning styles UNCW now fosters.

“They want you to learn from your mistakes because you get the lesson double. It really makes an impression on your mind. In 1944, you got it marked right or wrong and that was it,” Tiller said.

Helen Tiller is not the first in her family to attend UNCW.  Amy Tiller, her daughter, graduated with a degree in psychology.

“It is almost like a reverse legacy,” Amy Tiller said.

In addition to her daughter, Amy, Tiller also has two sons who have gone on to have successful careers as well. Dr. Joseph Tiller, the eldest of her three children, is a school psychologist, and Alan Tiller is a retired New Hanover County Sheriff’s deputy.

According to Tiller, she feels that attending college has helped keep her mind and body active. At an age when many individuals begin to become inactive and suffer from physical problems and memory loss, she remains motivated with school and occasionally helping her husband, Bob, with their real estate business.

“The best thing for me has been being able to use my mind and learn new things,” Tiller said. “I think learning and using the knowledge you have is good for you. It is good for your mind, and it keeps you going.”