Since 2026, Joelle Knutsen and Tywana Burrow have been accustomed to sitting in a classroom full of students their kids’ ages, being taught by a younger instructor. It took some adjusting, of course, but they are now proud members of the self-proclaimed “50 Plus Club,” since they both celebrated their 50th birthdays in the past year. It’s a badge they wear with honor along with their royal blue Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing scrubs.
Both had nursing ambitions in their 20s that were put to the side due to family and life obligations, but now at 50 years young, they’re back in the classroom at Goldfarb School of Nursing in the Upper Division track.
It's been a long time coming, but Joelle says after years as a stay-at-home mom, she’s glad it’s happening in this season of her life.
“I feel like I can just focus on me,” Joelle says. “When I was in the day-to-day grind with my kids, I never could have done this. I felt like I had missed my calling. But it’s not too late.”
She met Tywana at orientation, where the two bonded not only over “being the oldest in their class,” but also that their interest in nursing stemmed from the care their children had received in the past.
For over 20 years, Tywana frequented the Pediatric Hematology Oncology unit at St. Louis Children’s Hospital with her son, Mark, who had sickle cell disease and needed a transplant. She felt a deep desire to help parents like her.
“If they can see a familiar face and feel a bit more at ease, it takes a little of the load off of them,” Tywana says. “They will know they are not doing this by themselves.”
That’s why she plans to go right back to where her journey started —the pediatric hematology oncology unit.
Meanwhile, Joelle dreams of the delivery room, inspired by the nurses who cared for her baby boy there and in the NICU.
“I was so enamored with them,” Joelle says. “They were so kind, so patient. I had a really bad birth experience with my son, and they just supported so much support and care. He ended up being in the NICU for a while, and then years later, I was passing someone and she exclaimed, ‘is that Charlie?’ and said ‘I was his NICU nurse!’ I couldn’t believe she remembered us. I realized they really do care.”
Joelle and Tywana agree that a lot has changed since they were in the classroom over 30 years ago, namely with technology.
“When I went to college, there were computers, but we used libraries. We had to go find books. That’s how we wrote papers,” Joelle says. “And now everything is right on your phone. These kids have it easy these days!”
Tywana had the benefit of her daughter, Tynai, who is also a Goldfarb School of Nursing student. “The technology moves so fast,” she says. “My daughter helped me download materials. It was good to hear I wasn’t the only one.”
Their study habits have also changed. Pulling all-nighters? Not in their vocabulary due to family and other commitments. Tywana says it just means taking more time to make sure she’s retaining the information.
“I need a couple more days to get it down and make sure I can really do it,” Tywana says. “There’s no winging it here.”
Tywana and Joelle says as members of the “50 Plus Club,” they’ve also found themselves as the de facto ‘mother hens’ in their classes, helping their fellow – albeit younger – students stay on track.
“It’s been a fun role to take on,” Joelle says.
“They have a respect for me,” Tywana says. “At first, most of them didn’t believe I was Tynai’s mother. They thought I was her sister. But we have an appreciation for each other. Sometimes, because I’m not working full-time, I can dig into some parts of our group work a little more deeply, and they have their own tasks. We help each other. It’s a full circle.”
And while nursing school has had a fair share of challenges, both Joelle and Tywana say they would be the first ones to champion other prospective students in their season of life to go for it.
“Now, is it hard? Yes, but it’s not impossible,” Tywana says. “You have to learn how to do your time management, get the work done, do what needs to be done. But it’s attainable. You just need to hold yourself accountable.”
“I had a lot of self-doubt at first,” Joelle reflects. “But I told myself – ‘you don’t have a choice. This is what you’re doing.’ I was determined to support myself. But I can do it, and others can do it too. I am so grateful for this opportunity. It’s so worth it.”
Visit the Upper Division website for more information on the program.