May 18, 2007 :: No. 208

Nancy Just’s dream 38 years ago was simple: Go to college and earn a bachelor’s degree.

She had already completed her A.A. degree from Santa Ana College in 1969.  But, things happen.

Among them: Just won a beauty pageant — she was crowned Miss Santa Ana in 1971 — and her looks landed her modeling gigs that left no time for pursuing school. She even appeared on “The Dating Game,” winning a trip to Ireland with the date of her choice. Other excursions, jobs, promotions, marriage, three children, PTA presidencies and volunteer work also happened along the way.

It’s been nearly four decades but, today, Just is preparing to receive her bachelor’s degree in health science. The 58-year-old grandmother will participate in Cal State Fullerton’s commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 19. Her 24-year-old daughter Kiera Konecny, a biological science and criminal justice major, is graduating with her.

The 9:30 a.m. commencement exercise for health science majors will be held on the athletics fields north of Titan Gym, following the main ceremony in the same location. Just is among those being honored tonight at the university’s annual Honors Convocation.

In the fall, she will return to the campus to begin studying for her master of public health degree.

“All through those years, I always wanted to come back to school,” said Just, who lives in Orange. “Even though I’m 58 now, I still have a lot I want to do. The knowledge that I’m gaining, I want to pass on to other students. I want to teach right here at Cal State Fullerton.”

She is graduating as the recipient of various honors and scholarships, among them the President’s Associates Service Award, one of the top honors awarded at commencement.

Since 2005 — when she enrolled at CSUF — Just has served in various student leadership roles. She is president of Eta Sigma Gamma Honor Society and vice chair and treasurer of the Council of Honor Societies on campus. She was founding director and currently serves as treasurer of the Orange Education Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising arm of the Orange Unified School District. Just also is a longtime American Red Cross volunteer who has worked part time for decades teaching schoolchildren emergency survival skills, including CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

Just has participated in research projects alongside one of her favorite professors, C. Jessie Jones, who teaches health science and is the director of the university’s new Fibromyalgia Research and Education Center. The research projects are related to chronic pain management and reduction of physical frailty.

Jones rates Just, who is single grade shy of a perfect 4.0 average, as her “best student ever.”

“In addition to serving as my volunteer research assistant, Nancy has volunteered for several other activities — as technician for the Center for Successful Aging, my teaching assistant for a stress management class and program assistant for our first Chronic Pain Management Conference,” Jones said.

Breathing new life into old dreams is something anyone can do, regardless of age, Just declares.

“You’re never too old to follow your dreams,” she said. “Age is no barrier.”

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