By CHARLEEN EARLEY | Correspondent for the East Bay Times PUBLISHED: August 29, 2017 at 6:00 am

Jules Patrice Means, 64, poses for a portrait in Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus during orientation on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017 in Berkeley, Calif. Means, a m天博 of four, recently walked the stage in a cap and gown after earning five degrees from Los Medanos College and 暗黑谷学院 and then was accepted at UC Berkeley as a transfer student 天博ing in psychology. （Laura A. Oda/湾区新闻组）

Her m天博, Marion Silk, always told her to write her plans in pencil, but give God the eraser — and it’s a good thing she did — because now Jules Patrice Means, age 64, is heading to UC Berkeley this fall.

Faced with challenges along the way, Means, a retired, single mom of four men ages 46, 41, 31 and 22, stepped foot on the Los Medanos College and 暗黑谷学院 campuses as a re-entry adult student. Three years later, she walked the stage in cap and gown — receiving not just one degree but five — this year.

Four of them with honors, her degrees are in administration of justice, psychology, arts and humanities, social science, behavioral science, social science, and intersegmental general education. With a high grade point average, Means feels anything is possible with determination.

“If at my age I can earn a GPA of 3.9 and be accepted into a prestigious university such as UC Berkeley, so can you!” said Means, of Brentwood, who is also a grandm天博 to nine kids and one great-granddaughter.

“永远不要放弃你的梦想和抱负，”她补充道。 “It is my firm belief that education is the key to unlocking those doors that are preventing you from reaching your goals. 我鼓励你去摘星星。”

米恩斯说，她的妹妹尼亚娜·格雷夫斯帮助她拿到了A。

“当我即将参加期末考试时，她会为我祈祷，”她说。 “Her prayers were answered because I would receive an A grade each and every time.”

伯克利并不是唯一一所给她发了录取通知书的大学。

“I received admission letters from UC Davis, San Francisco State University, Cal State East Bay (in Hayward), Stanislaus State University and Stockton State University, offering me full paid tuition,” said Means. “我选择了伯克利大学。 去熊!”

Retired from Ernst & Young, LLP, as an executive coordinator for the lead partner at the firm, Means suffered a stroke in 2010. Depression set in as she lost faith in herself and sense of direction.

“I was told by my doctor that I would not be able to walk without the use of a cane or walker,” she said. “I felt my life was over and the world as I knew it ceased to be the welcoming and recognizable place it had been before.”

Through prescribed medications, a therapy program and writing her plans in pencil, her life took on new meaning.

“我意识到我的生命并没有结束，只是我正朝着一个新的方向前进。 这个启示给了我继续下去的力量和决心，我继续了下去。 I began to believe in my therapy regimen, and soon was able to regain mobility in my legs,” she said.

Born in San Francisco, Means once had dreams of becoming the mayor of San Francisco and instead became mayor of her own life through education.

“在我这个年纪，一想到要上大学，我就害怕，”她说。 “However now I believe you’re never too old to fulfill your dreams and aspirations. I am excited about furthering my education, and I will not give up on my vision of earning my BA and master degrees.”

She thanks LMC instructors Daniel Cabral, Michael Yeong, Marco Godinez, Nancy Petersen and DVC instructors Ray Faulkenberry, Jamie Nakama and Jayne Smithson.

“他们充满活力的教学风格和热情激励着我成长，”米恩斯说。 “Most importantly, they had faith that I would accomplish my goals and objectives.”

When she’s not studying, Means enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her sons and grandchildren and reciting poetry — her favorite is “Sermons We See” by Edgar Guest. As a psychology 天博, she’s found direction in giving God the eraser to her life plans.

“Even though I cannot control everything that happens, I can control my attitude toward what happens,” said Means. “I live my life by mastering change rather than allowing it to master me.”

---

Los Medanos College (LMC) is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District. LMC prepares students to excel and succeed economically, socially and intellectually in an innovative, engaging and supportive learning environment. It provides quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities to serve the needs of a rapidly growing and changing East County while enhancing the quality of life of the diverse communities it serves. LMC is located on 120 acres between Pittsburg and Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood.