When Serge Dube’s name was announced at cap and gown graduation ceremonies for School District 47 on Wednesday, June 29, cheers rose from his fellow grads, most of whom are close to 45 years his junior. At 64 years old, Dube was the oldest graduate of the 2016 class.
“It feels pretty good, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” said Dube. “All the way through my life, I never had my grade 12.”
Dube has been surrounded by young people going to school his entire adult life, starting with his children.
“I insisted my kids take school and graduate,” he said. “They all graduated, so I just decided to do it, too.”
According to Dube, a local school bus driver, he was not sure if he would attend the ceremony until he was pressured by some of the girls who used to ride his bus. He said he surprised a few of them when his name was called and he stepped up to receive his diploma.
Dube has driven for École Côte du Soleil for nearly 18 years and, before that, St. Michael’s University School in Victoria for seven years.
Dube has been a bus driver long enough to have seen many of his young passengers go from kindergarten into adulthood. “I’ve been doing it a long time,” he said.
Dube attended Brooks Secondary School’s Dogwood Diploma program. He took three requisite core competencies for grade 12, including math, English literature and First Nations social studies.
“In the beginning it was hard,” he said, adding that it became easier once he asked people for help. “I asked my daughter-in-law to help me with math, and my wife, who is highly qualified in education.”
According to James Hanson, instructor of the alternative education program at Vancouver Island University, Powell River, Dube’s experience receiving his Dogwood Diploma in the adult education program was a way to motivate other students.
”When people were getting frustrated and discouraged, I would say, ‘I’ve got another guy who is 64 and is working at this. It’s important, he’s working at it and he’s doing the best that he can,’” said Hanson.
Now that Dube has a grade 12 diploma, he said he is thinking about taking a university course. “I don’t know yet what I’m going to do,” he said, “but I’ll take one just to say I’ve been there.”
Until he makes that decision, Dube said he will keep driving the school bus.
