Sonja Roach, a lifelong resident of Poplar Bluff, has at the age of 79 accomplished a remarkable feat all while battling cancer for the second time.
Roach will graduate Dec. 14 with her diploma from Poplar Bluff’s Excel Center, proving it’s never too late to chase and accomplish your dreams.
She has also overcome both breast and uterine cancer.
The pursuit of her high school diploma began with both Roach and her grandson. When he lost interest in taking classes, a staff member from the Poplar Bluff Excel Center made a call to Roach. Roach said she felt like it was an opportunity she could not pass up.
Roach had dropped out of high school during her junior year.
“Well, I was in love,” she said with a smile. “I stayed at home until my youngest of two daughters was 5 years old and then I went into the work field until the last eight years or so.
“Then I quit and stayed home with my husband to take care of him while he was sick.”
The loss of her husband in December 2019 took a toll on her.
“I was kind of lost without him. I had plenty to keep me busy with this big old house, but I just didn’t want to do it,” she said. “So, after receiving the call from Jeri at the school, I just decided, I have to try this.”
Roach started school last August and should have been able to graduate this term, but a second bout with cancer slowed her down.
“After 18 years of being cancer-free, I had to take the summer off because I had cancer again,” she said.
Roach is no stranger to the struggles of life. She survived breast cancer in 2005 by undergoing a mastectomy.
Her most recent bout with cancer led to a complete hysterectomy.
Returning to the classroom and navigating the world of education after many years was certainly not without its other difficulties. She described her coursework, including algebra, science and geology, as challenging.
Despite the challenges, she found solace in financial algebra.
“(It) was my favorite, I mean, I had been a banker for 16 years,” explained Roach.
Roach worked as a cashier for First Midwest Bank before her husband got sick.
The graduation date is Dec. 14, but according to Roach, her journey is far from over.
Her daughter Loni Stroud hopes her mother might pursue college, but Roach said she has her own plans. She envisions taking a part-time job and putting her skills to good use in an area she enjoys, probably involving math.
Roach attended classes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The Excel Center offers tutoring on Fridays.
“I couldn’t have made it without my teachers there,” said Roach.
The celebration of her graduation will coincide with her eldest daughter’s birthday.
Stroud said proudly, “I couldn’t think of a better gift she could have given me.”