Kay Castagnoli has spent more than six decades on a college campus, first as a student, then as a researcher and professor. Castagnoli eventually retired from teaching chemistry at Virginia Tech, at which point she went right back to school — as a student.
During spring 2023 commencement, Castagnoli will claim the unique distinction of being the oldest individual to earn a bachelor’s degree at Virginia Tech. At 85 1/2 years of age, Castagnoli will earn her Bachelor of Arts in music, summa cum laude and with honors distinctions, adding another achievement to her impressive academic resume and career.
“I love learning,” Castagnoli said. “I always loved going to school. I love being on a campus.”
As a teenager in Southern California, Castagnoli studied advanced courses in the sciences at a local community college and enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where she stood out as a woman graduating with a degree in chemistry. A chemist and researcher, Castagnoli moved from the Bay Area to Blacksburg, Virginia, with her husband, Neal, in 1987, where she continued her research and began her teaching career. Both Castagnolis retired after years of service as professors in Virginia Tech’s Department of Chemistry.
Castagnoli didn’t pick up golf clubs or a start new hobby. Instead, she decided to return to an old interest – her piano — and to pursue a degree in music. In 2007, she enrolled at Virginia Tech and registered for a class or two every semester.
“I thought it was wonderful to have a nontraditional student in class, particularly one who had been a higher ed teacher herself for many years,” said Rick Masters, associate professor of piano and collaborative piano at Virginia Tech. “She was a terrific model to her fellow students. She asked many, many questions; fully participated in classroom discussions; took copious notes; came to office hours; and aced all of her exams.”
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