At an age when many people are settling into retirement, Peggy E. Moore is just getting started on her next chapter.
The 75-year-old West Philadelphia resident recently graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in general studies, becoming the oldest graduate in the university’s 2026 graduating class after spending more than four decades working at the school.
For Moore, the milestone represented the completion of a dream she first began pursuing in 1980 — one she balanced alongside raising children, working full-time, and navigating life as a single mother.
“It means a whole lot to me,” Moore said. “It’s something I’ve worked for throughout all these years and I’ve finally accomplished.”
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Moore has worked at Temple University for 44 years and became known throughout the provost’s office as a trusted problem-solver who helped students, faculty, and staff navigate challenges.
“Temple is Peggy made,” said former vice provost Dan Berman, who supervised Moore for eight years. “Anyone who walked into that office, she would really help. She would actually solve people’s problems, not just tell them how to do it.”
Moore’s educational journey was anything but traditional. After transferring to Temple from the Community College of Philadelphia in 1980, she initially planned to become a Spanish teacher. But life shifted course as she focused on raising her two sons and supporting her family financially.
She began working at Temple as a receptionist in the university’s medical school admissions department before later moving into the budget office and eventually the provost’s office in 1989.
Over the decades, Moore took classes one or two at a time, stepping away temporarily whenever life became overwhelming before eventually returning to continue her studies.
“When I felt myself getting stressed, I would stop like a semester or two, and then I would start back up,” she explained.
She said there were many late nights, group projects, and moments that tested her determination. Still, she refused to quit.
“I said, ‘Come on, now. We’ve got to get this done,’” Moore recalled telling classmates during one holiday weekend when others wanted to put off assignments.
Her perseverance ultimately paid off when she completed her final course — a writing class — last fall.
Despite becoming Temple’s oldest graduate this year, Moore has no plans to slow down. In fact, she says she is already preparing for the next goal: earning a master’s degree, potentially in human resources administration.
“Retire for what?” Moore said with a laugh. “I still have a lot of life in me.”
She also plans to remain actively involved in the university’s Artificial Intelligence task force, saying she is determined to keep learning and evolving alongside new technology.
“I don’t want to be left behind,” she said. “I want to stay in the know.”
Moore’s story has inspired students and educators alike, especially older adults pursuing education later in life. She was also selected as the commencement speaker for Temple’s University College graduation ceremony, where she shared the message that carried her through decades of persistence.
“My theme is don’t give up,” she said.
And after 44 years of balancing work, motherhood, grief, and education, Moore has become a powerful example of exactly what that looks like.
