Never too late: Triumph at 71

When Theresa Chang accepts her Bachelor of Arts in Communication, it will mark the culmination of a life story defined by breathtaking resilience. At 71 years old, Chang is not just a graduate; she is a survivor, who has turned her darkest chapters into a source of light for others as a substance abuse counselor at Lōkahi Treatment Center in Pāhoa.

“Going to college has truly been a remarkable and transformative chapter in my life, one that I never imagined would be possible,” Chang said.

Theresa “Terri” Chang went back to school for her GED at 58, and now at 71, has earned two associate degrees from Hawaiʻi Community College and a BA from UH Hilo

A high school dropout after discovering she was pregnant at 17, Chang spent much of her early life seeking stability.

“In my early twenties, I fell into drug use,” Chang described, saying it was a battle that continued for 30 years. “I tried many times to stop on my own, but addiction had its hold on me.”

The turning point came 21 years ago, when she moved to Colorado to embrace recovery — encouraged by her boyfriend, and his sister, who can’t wait to see her in cap and gown at UH Hilo’s upcoming graduation ceremony.

“That move saved my life,” Chang reflected.

Sobriety brought clarity and the desire to pursue a career, which meant going back to school to earn her GED at age 58.

When Chang and her partner of 31 years decided they were ready to come home, they chose Hawaiʻi Island for a fresh start. It was another choice that Chang said changed the trajectory of her life.

During therapy, she was asked what she really wanted to do with her life, and Chang admitted she dreamed of becoming a substance abuse counselor but feared she missed her opportunity.

“I told her I was too old, but she insisted I wasn’t,” Chang recalled. “She was right,” she said, chuckling.

Chang enrolled at Hawaiʻi Community College, earning her Substance Abuse Counselor certificate and two associate degrees in Liberal Arts and Administration of Justice. Then, at age 63, a new goal: a BA in Communication with hopes it would help her better serve her clients.

Her enrollment at UH Hilo was almost over before it started. Just two months before classes were set to begin, her son was killed in an altercation with police on Oʻahu. The tragedy came close to derailing her plans, but Chang learned to redirect her heartbreak and discovered a particularly inspiring professor, Ronald Gordon, PhD.

Chang took most of her classes online while juggling her career as a substance abuse counselor at Lōkahi Treatment Center in Pāhoa

“I would scan the catalog every semester to see what classes I could take from him,” Chang recalled with a laugh, saying she’s certain she’s taken every course he has offered since she enrolled. “In fact, I could have graduated last semester, but I would have missed Mindful Communication with Dr. G this fall, so I stretched it out.”

“Terri is a gem of a human being,” Prof. Gordon said. “She is down-to-earth, so real, so genuine,” he described. “Students a half-century younger than Terri could relate to her effortlessly because she is so vitally alive.”

Gordon notes that her real-world experience battling addiction “added mana” to the classroom. “This credibility that she has earned strongly shines through her.”

Now, with a 3.6 GPA and a full-time career helping others navigate recovery, Chang is ready for life’s next chapter. When she walks across the stage at UH Hilo’s Fall Commencement, her thoughts will be with the son she lost, and the family cheering her on.

Chang with her two daughters, who will be flying in from Oʻahu to attend her graduation ceremony, along with her boyfriend’s sister, who is arriving from Colorado

“I’ll probably cry thinking about my son, but I know he’s with me in spirit,” Chang said. “To my family and friends, I would say you’re never too old to pursue your dreams. I have a simple, happy life now. I will be proud of myself.”