Joyce DeFauw dropped out of Northern Illinois University the last semester of her senior year to get married in 1955. She never went back. That is until 2019 when she enrolled for a second time at NIU in order to finish her degree. In 2022, at the age of 90, she completed her goal.
Her advice to others at the end of the attached article sums up why she was selected as the Growth Mindset selection for August 2023; “Don’t give up. I know it can be difficult, but everything in life has its ups and downs.” One of the characteristics of a Growth Mindset is seeing obstacles and setbacks as part of the process. They are information signs that keep us pointed in the right direction. Those information signs tell us; “before you give up, try a different strategy.” In contrast, the Fixed Mindset sees setbacks and obstacles as stop signs that say; “do not proceed, go back to your comfort zone”. I am confident that after reading the linked article below on Joyce Defauw, you will agree with her when she said; “it’s always nice to finish something you started.”