Feature: Senior student John Blake

At 72 years old, John Blake is taking on his third semester at USC Aiken studying German and French.

Blake has four children; his wife and daughter both previously studied and graduated at USC Aiken. Blake and his family lived in Alabama and Oregon before moving to South Carolina.

“I chased a job at Savannah River Site,” he said, “so yeah, I worked there for almost 30 years now.”

He first attended college at the University of Michigan and got a master’s degree in Forestry and Tree Physiology in 1970. He then later attended the University of Washington and got his Ph.D. in Forest Soil Science

Blake is interested in learning French and German because of their cultures.

Studying these languages helped him during traveling. “We traveled to Germany last year. I took German 101 last semester, so I was able to use it in a restaurant, travel by train.”

“If you learn the language you can easily understand their culture.”

The only disadvantage of being at a smaller school such as USC Aiken, according to Blake, is that is cannot offer the large number of classes such as Columbia. The university does, however, provide opportunities for senior students.

According to state law, residents over the age of 60 are permitted to take classes without tuition.

“We do have to pay for fees, books or materials which are extremely expensive compared to what I use to pay,” he described.

Blake also described how he feels about being a student on campus: “People here are very friendly and kind, I think this is a very well-run university, and that the people in charge do a good job with the students, I believe that they take a great deal of interest in the students.”

Blake stated that it is a tremendous opportunity for senior students to continue learning. “This is a great program, it’s important to stay active and stay engaged. This is one way to do it. and I would really recommend this to another senior.”