Retired registered nurse finds passion in anthropology at USask

Jocelyn D’Eon started classes at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) intending only to learn Spanish. She will graduate with the University Medal in Social Sciences at the 2024 Fall Convocation.

“I was taken by surprise,” D’Eon recalled after learning that she was receiving the award, which recognizes an individual who has received the top grades of any undergraduate student majoring in social science subject areas.

“I know my grades are OK, but I know there’s a lot of great students at the university,” she added.

After working more than 40 years as a registered nurse, D’Eon is graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish from the College of Arts and Science on Nov. 13 at Merlis Belsher Place.

D’Eon, who retired from nursing in spring 2024, has four children and two grandchildren. She has been married to her husband for 40 years, who she calls a “patient man” while she pursued her educational interests. She enjoys gardening, beekeeping, swimming, painting, and cooking in her spare time.

Having previously completed her diploma in nursing in 1981 at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, D’Eon decided to return to post-secondary to learn Spanish in 2013.

“I’ve always preached that people should have a second language and I don’t (have one),” she said.

D’Eon had tried conversational French but learned she needed the accountability of exams in a structured program. Her granddaughter also speaks Spanish, which helped her decide on the language.

While taking Spanish at USask, she earned the highest academic achievement in Spanish 314 in the 2017/18 academic year and in Spanish 317 the following year.

“I took a Spanish class and I loved it,” she said. “I thought that I would just take Spanish, whatever the university had to offer and that was just it.

“But I was charmed by the young students and hearing about their lives and what it’s like to be a student,” said D’Eon, who is now 66 years old.

She remembered what it was like to be in high school on Salt Spring Island, B.C., and going on a tour of the University of Victoria.

“I thought, ‘Well, maybe one day I’ll go there, but right now I just want a skill, and I want to work.’”

That “one day” arrived. D’Eon booked an appointment with an academic advisor and talked about her interests, including culture and social studies. The advisor recommended anthropology.

Over the next 11 years, she chipped away at taking Spanish and anthropology classes, sometimes taking two to three classes per year. She enjoyed taking classes with younger students.

She also found that there was plenty of crossover between her nursing career and newfound passion for anthropology.

“Especially nowadays in nursing, there are a lot of politics that affect your clients—religion, race,” D’Eon said. “I was able to bring some of (my knowledge) into nursing and have a better understanding and to approach people better.”

The reverse was true for her anthropology classes. D’Eon recalled an anthropology class that discussed a particular surgery affecting gender. She was able to explain the background of the surgery from a nursing perspective from the last four decades.

Despite the challenges of many new technologies, she noted that her experience at USask as an older student has been great.

“Especially in today’s world, with all the upheaval, I found that an education in anthropology really helped me to not have knee-jerk reactions and have a little more compassion and understanding for what’s going on.”

Though she’s not sure what the future holds for her, she intends to keep learning and possibly pursue a master’s degree in anthropology. For those considering university studies, D’Eon had advice to share.

“Some people think that they have to have a big plan ahead of them and what they’re going to do,” D’Eon said. “I would say just start with a class that interests you and be humble and respectful. You’re not here to showcase what you know. You’re here to learn from others.”