This 100-year-old is still taking classes at McGill University
Most students come to McGill University in their 20s to get an education.
But not Miriam Tees. She was born in the '20s and just celebrated her 100th birthday.
"I was born on February 24, 1923," says Tees. "It's a pretty big one, 100."
Marking a centennial hasn't stopped Tees from wearing an Apple Watch, continuing to drive her car—she has her eyes checked regularly—or continuing to further her education.
Tees has taken many courses at McGill over the years to satisfy her many interests and curiosities.
"I've taken history courses and literature courses. I took one on the sonnet. Whatever happened to look interesting," she chuckles.
Tees grew up in Westmount, and as a child, she was free to roam and explore.
She got her driver's licence at 17 but never married or had children. In part, she says, because there weren't enough men to go around.
Miriam Tees got her driver's licence at 17 and continues to drive at age 100. (Supplied photo)
"You know a lot of men my age died in the war, so we lost a lot of people that might have married me, perhaps," she says.
Tees made a life for herself as a secretary and librarian. Her love of books gave her not only a career and many friends but also kept her curious.
A curiosity she continues to feed at age 100 by attending classes at McGill's Community for Lifelong Learning (MCLL).
This term, she's taking jazz. Tees has even led some classes, such as music courses.
"I moderated music because I was always interested in music all my life," she says.
Miriam Tees attends her jazz class at McGill’s Community for Lifelong Learning. (Supplied photo)The dean of continuing studies at McGill, Carola Weil, says while Tees is one of about 1000 senior learners who moderate and attend classes at the centre, she is not the oldest.
"Our oldest student is 101," says Weil. "It is tremendously inspiring. They remind me that at my age of 60-something, I'm still a youngster, and I have so much more to learn."
Jazz class moderator Tony Wait says the school keeps people connected and feeling young at heart.
"The whole focus is on lifelong learning," says Wait. "We don't want to have people feel that if they reach the age of 65, they should stop learning and be curious about life. The fact that they can come down here in a very informal setting, make friends, talk to friends, learn in a very unforced relaxed way, it's a great boon to health."
Tees wholeheartedly agrees and is living proof that you are never too old to learn.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.