Single mom-of-two becomes a doctor at 50, proving it's never too late for your dreams

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on
September 29, 2020

Such is the rat race we're all stuck in that societal norms dictate a certain timeline for when each milestone in life is to occur. You're expected to learn your ABCs by a certain age, finish school with so many years, get married before you pass the optimal age for tying the knot, have kids before your "eggs dry up" and spend the rest of your life making sure your offsprings stick to the same schedule. However, life being what it is, things don't always go according to plan. But does that mean you've failed? Absolutely not. Just ask this fabulous mom-of-two!

Stephanie M. Jackson, a 50-year-old single mother-of-two, recently left Twitter in complete awe of her after her daughter took to the social media platform to gush about her mother's achievements. Nya Syndab was every bit the proud daughter when she tweeted a photo of her bombshell mom in a stunning red jumpsuit last week. "My mom became a doctor at 50! Dreams always come true. Congratulations, beautiful," she wrote. "She’s truly amazing! My fave." The post quickly grabbed eyeballs on the platform, where Jackson's story was just the push many needed to not give up on their career aspirations.

"As a 22-year-old college drop out who feels like his life is shit this at least gives me a little motivation and realization that this is not the end and I got time to rebuild myself," commented Twitter user @marcusbell334. Syndab responded with words of encouragement for the young man, revealing that it had taken her a few extra years to finish her undergraduate. "It’s never the end. It took me 6 1/2 to finish undergrad and I finished this year. You’re on the right track... don’t you worry about a thing," she wrote.

"I appreciate the encouragement [because] for the longest I was like damn it’s kids my age with career jobs already and I’m still working a dead-end 11.50/hour job. But I’m in the process of paying off the balance I owe right now so I should be re-enrolled in the spring if it’s paid by then," @marcusbell334 wrote back. Another Twitter user, @LeotheLion25, had a similar story to share as they shared how Jackson's achievement has inspired them to finish college. "I was the same. Seeing this topic made me very happy and it shows that age is just a number. I like to return back to college one day myself and finish my degree," they wrote. 

With countless people expressing interest in getting to know a bit more about her mom's journey, Syndab explained in a follow-up tweet that Jackson had raised her and her brother alone. "Quit her job as a high school teacher to move to Atlanta to complete her doctorate," she tweeted. "She put me through Spelman College & my brother just started at Morehouse. Took her 6 1/2 years to complete her Doctor of Chiropractic degree while raising us."

She also shared a few words of motivation for those who "feel like they are too old to pursue medicine (or any other goal)" and that it's too late to fulfill those dreams. "I would say to you that because you have a passion/a desire to become a doctor, it was meant for you. Whenever we have a desire for something, it's the universe and our intuition telling us that that's the path for you. No matter how much you feel like you're off track from your goal, our life has a funny way of bringing us back to where we wanted to be the whole time," she wrote. "I encourage you to pursue medicine again, no matter how old you are. The world needs your healing hands."