I'm a grandma of 3 and just graduated from college — now I'm taking a millennial-style ‘gap year' and celebrating with my new Gen Z pals
This new grad is celebrating with a post-college rite of passage — a gap year — only she's doing it in her 70s.
At 74, Dorotea Levy de Szekely — grandmother of three and self-proclaimed lifelong learner — just graduated with a bachelor's degree from Hunter College, proving it's never too late to hit the books or rewrite your own story.
'My motto has always been, 'Don't let age be your cage,'' the witty Upper East Sider told The Post, walking in Hunter's 228th commencement at the Barclays Center on Friday, alongside more than 3,300 grads.
Born and raised in Argentina, the stylish silver scholar had a decades-long detour before snagging her degree.
After a cruel teacher in the first grade told her she'd 'never' finish high school due to a learning disability, Levy de Szekely avoided college entirely, despite an unshakable love for learning and a longing to pursue higher education.
5 Argentina native Dorotea Levy de Szekely longed to learn, so she went to college as a senior student.
Stephen Yang
5 She is among more than 3,000 graduates attending Hunter College's 228th commencement on Friday.
Stephen Yang
'You always learn, and I worked my life towards that verdict,' she told The Post. 'But every time I walked by a university, I felt this sadness and longing inside, as I wanted to go there and learn.
'Thankfully, here at Hunter College in New York City, this is the only place in the world I think that welcomed me, notwithstanding my age or who I am.'
Her college comeback began in 2017, when she enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and earned her associate's degree in 2019 with a flawless 4.0 GPA as the co-valedictorian of her class.
Then came Hunter, where she racked up a 3.98 GPA, triple majored in German Language and Literature, English (with a concentration in Creative Writing), and Studio Art — and made BFFs more than half her age.
5 Levy de Szekely's inspiring motto: 'Don't let age be your cage.'
Stephen Yang
One of them, a 20-year-old classmate named Babsi, is 'younger than my granddaughter,' Levy de Szekely noted — and yet, they've become such close pals that Babsi came to cheer her on at graduation and even set up a WhatsApp video call so a classmate in Pakistan could watch, too.
'I thought this was very moving,' a delighted Levy de Szekely said.
After the ceremony, which would also be attended by her proud children and grandchildren, the brainy besties planned to celebrate with burgers at UES hotspot, JG Melon.
Levy de Szekely's passion for people — and prose — shaped her college experience.
'For me, it's so important to look you in the eye and know who you are,' she explained. 'Sometimes it comes across as if you're nosy or curious, but I'm always very interested in the human being who's sitting across from me … being less ignorant about the other person makes you more compassionate.
'I made great connections at Hunter because I'm always asking everyone, you know, 'Who are you, what motivates you, where are you from?''
It wasn't just fellow students who made an impact — professors left their mark, too, especially those who helped nurture her love of literature.
5 She enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in 2017 and earned an associate's degree in 2019.
Stephen Yang
'I love creative writing and history … There's so many things,' she said, revealing the brainy books and subjects she devoured.
'Like, we were reading Franz Kafka in German and studying the problems that arise when translating it to English or any other language,' she recalled. 'That's, I think, something very interesting.'
Her literary tastes skew philosophical and are especially inspired by early 20th-century Austrian author Stefan Zweig.
'He said something that stuck in my mind — that history decides for you,' Levy de Szekely told The Post, adding that Zweig's writing resonates with her as it proves that even the smallest choices can shape the course of history.
Now, instead of backpacking through Europe like many Gen Z grads, Levy de Szekely is taking a 'gap year' her own way — by devouring books on her own time.
Levy de Szekely, who speaks an astonishing four languages — Spanish, English, German and 'some French' — later plans to tutor in Hunter's German department and prep for a master's degree in English at CUNY's Lehman College or Hunter.
5 Levy de Szekely has a particular fondness for the work of early 20th-century Austrian author Stefan Zweig.
Stephen Yang
'I would love to pursue a Master's in English,' she said, admitting, 'I'd love for it to be creative writing, but it's going to be difficult.'
She's even dabbling in fairytale rewrites — including a fresh take on 'Little Red Riding Hood' that honors 'powerful women.'
One thing's for sure: she's not slowing down.
Forget Sudoku, too — Levy de Szekely says eternal curiosity and an open mind are all you need to keep the mental gears turning at any age.
'As I say, learning is a journey. It's a life journey. So you have to learn,' she explained with a hint of philosophy. 'In life, you cannot live without learning, even if you don't know that you're learning.'
Or, as her father used to tell her: 'The day I cannot learn something anymore, I will be dead.'
Clearly, this grandma's just getting started.
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