When 45-year-old Jigisha Tailor walked onto the IIT Madras graduation stage, she wasn't alone.
Standing beside her was her 21-year-old son, who had inspired her to return to studies years after leaving the classroom.
While her son followed the conventional college journey, Jigisha restarted her academic journey after years away from formal education. Behind the shared graduation moment was a story of balancing family responsibilities, rediscovering a dream and proving that learning has no age limit.
Who Is Jigisha?
Jigisha Tailor, a 45-year-old mother from Bharuch, Gujarat, spent 16 years teaching electronics at an engineering college.
Education had always been a major part of her life. But in 2019, she stepped away from teaching to focus on family responsibilities.
Her connection with learning, however, never faded.
Watching her son study motivated her to return to academics. Encouraged by him, she enrolled in IIT Madras' online BS programme in Data Science and Applications in 2022.
This time, she was no longer standing in front of a classroom as a teacher. She was back to being a student, pursuing a long-held dream.
How Jigisha Balanced Studies, Motherhood And Supporting Her Son
When Jigisha began her IIT Madras programme, she was managing much more than lectures, assignments and exams.
At the same time, her son was pursuing his own programme at IIT Madras as a regular student, while she studied through the institute's online programme.
The mother-son duo followed different academic paths but shared the same goal of graduating from IIT Madras.
Returning to studies after years meant rebuilding her daily routine. She balanced coursework, lectures, household responsibilities and supporting her son through his own academic journey.
Instead of treating age as a barrier, she saw learning as a goal worth pursuing at any stage of life.
What Their Graduation Shows About Education Today
Their biggest milestone came when they walked onto the IIT Madras graduation stage together to receive their respective qualifications.
The moment was especially memorable because they had not expected to graduate together. According to reports, a fellow student requested the institute to call them onto the stage together after learning about their unique journey.
For her son, it marked the completion of his academic programme.
For Jigisha, it was the fulfilment of a dream she had returned to after years away from formal education.
Their story reflects how education is evolving. With flexible learning options, people can continue their studies at different stages of life while balancing work and family responsibilities.
Jigisha's journey shows that putting a dream on hold does not mean giving it up forever. Sometimes, it simply means returning to it when the time is right.
