Hüseyin Tekerci, a 60-year-old retiree living in Karabük province in northern Türkiye, was admitted to the art history programme of Karabük University’s Faculty of Letters after passing the higher education entrance exam (YKS).
In doing so, he fulfilled a long-held dream and became a role model for young people. Tekerci, who wanted to encourage the young people in his neighbourhood to take the university exams, also realised his own old wish. Stressing that he wants to spend his retirement actively, he said his motivation and effort have inspired those around him and people of his age.
Expressing his joy at becoming a student at 60, he said: “To encourage the young people in the neighbourhood, we made a bet that we would take the university exam. I had a dream of university that had never come true. If I had died without fulfilling it, I would have had regrets. Now I am very happy.”
He described his first day at university like this: “Would you believe it? I had the same excitement as on my first day of school at seven. My heart was racing. Learning has no age limit, and I recommend it to everyone.”
Tekerci added that he took the exam together with 11 young people from the neighbourhood: “Two of them scored higher than me. The others either didn’t choose a programme or weren’t accepted into the one they wanted. I put art history as my fourth choice and got in.” Pointing to his special interest in art history, he also had advice for young people: “My advice to everyone is to study and be useful people for their country, homeland and nation.”
