By Mick Dillon / Jambar Contributor
Alan Mirkin is a student in the College for the Over Sixty program and enrolled to give himself more to do during retirement.
“When you retire, and all of a sudden you wake up in the morning and there’s nothing on your plate, you have to do something to fill your time,” Mirkin said.
For 26 years, Youngstown State University’s Over Sixty program has offered free attendance to anyone over the age of 60 who has lived in Ohio for at least a year. Students pay a $5 registration fee and a nearly $100 fee for online classes.
Over Sixty students who meet certain Federal Poverty Level Guidelines can earn degrees.
Students in the program can enroll in classes without having to take tests or do any assignments, but they aren’t able to earn a degree. They have a wide variety of courses to choose from, except graduate-level courses or music and voice lessons.
Darla Ferradino, who’s been the program’s coordinator of registration since 2022, said she finds it rewarding to hear of the growth the Over Sixty students achieve during their time with the program.
“Sometimes they come in just to meet me and say, ‘Hello,’ and tell me that they’re enjoying their classes, so that’s a lot of fun for me. I like to know that I’ve helped them and that they’re enjoying themselves,” Ferradino said.
The program has seen 195 enrollees since 2021 — 75 of whom are repeat participants. Mirkin joined the program with two of his friends in spring 2023, and said class has become a way for them to bond.
“We go together and we go to lunch afterwards,” Mirkin said. “It became part of our routine.”
Mirkin said he enjoys the time in the program and has no plans of stopping any time soon.
“Hopefully it won’t stop for a long time, and I’ll be healthy and able to get to the classes. It’s a great use of my time,” Mirkin said. “As long as I am able to go, I’ll go.”
At 70-years-old, Mirkin said he enjoys the contrast of the current state of college education compared to his time spent in college. Years prior, Mirkin graduated from Ohio University with a degree in accounting.
“We are sitting here discussing what is history to [the students], to what we actually went through. That’s really fascinating. I’m getting insights from the kids that I never thought about. It really opens your eyes up,” Mirkin said.
Mirkin said he also appreciates being able to attend college lectures without the added pressure of needing to succeed to earn a degree.
“The best part is, I don’t do homework, I don’t write papers and I don’t take tests,” Mirkin said. “You get the upside of education without the downside of having to do the nasty stuff.”