Indiana Wesleyan University is committed to equipping students at every age and stage of life to live out their calling as world changers. For alumnus John Wasinski, that mission took on special meaning when his 80-year-old mother, Marcy, became an IWU student herself. What began as a simple suggestion became a story of community, formation, and hope that shaped Marcy’s final years.
It was early 2023, and Marcy Wasinski was feeling unmoored. Her first year in Ohio had just passed, and she hadn’t found a community she could connect with deeply.
At the time, her son, John, had recently completed his Educational Leadership certificate through IWU and was starting his doctoral program. Having felt spiritually supported during his time with IWU, John suggested to his mother that she enroll in a program through the university. While suggested somewhat offhand, he was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to the idea.
Marcy had earned her bachelor’s degree decades earlier.
“I remember night and weekend classes in the early 1980s, when I was a kid,” John said. “She’d take me along, and I’d spend hours reading and coloring on the floor at the back of classrooms.”
Around 1986, Marcy began her Master’s in Social Work at a school tucked among century-old buildings near downtown Chicago. On winter nights, John often went with her. He recalls the ice that lingered in the shadows of tall buildings and the weekly search for a parking space that wouldn’t lead to a ticket or tow.
“Her social work program involved a lot of law research,” John said. “As a 12-year-old, I had a blast going up the ancient elevator to the library and xeroxing things for her in the dusty stacks so she could focus on homework. I’ve been involved in my mother’s education for practically all my life.”
Marcy decided to start slowly with IWU, choosing an undergraduate certificate first. From 2023 to 2024, she completed five courses with a 4.0 GPA, earning her Life Coaching certificate.
“She started her Master’s in Psychology last year and was about three courses from finishing,” John said. “She’d already picked out her next program. She had many hopes, dreams, and plans for the future.”
For Marcy, IWU was her anchor. The sense of purpose and structure the program provided became a constant in an unpredictable time. During much of 2024 and 2025, Marcy Wasinski was at her healthiest and happiest. Even so, clouds were beginning to form. Marcy was hospitalized three times throughout the year, and yet her determination persisted, completing classwork even amid health complications. Even as she showed signs of improvement during a 12-night hospitalization, her health declined, and Christ called her home.
Looking back on his mother’s experience with IWU, John feels gratitude. While it’s impossible to quantify the full extent of Marcy’s reach, he wants everyone who knew his mother to know how much she cared for them.
“Thank you for sharing yourselves with my mom,” John said. “Week after week, I watched her thrive because of the support she experienced through IWU. The sense of purpose, structure, and community she found was life-giving. She truly loved her peers and professors. You were helping her more than you’ll ever know.”
As Isaiah 43:19 reminds us: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Even at 80, Marcy experienced something new: the joy of discovery, the encouragement of community, and the faith that carried her through.
Her story is a reminder that world changers are not bound by age or circumstance. They are people who live faithfully, grow courageously, and influence others through the hope of Christ.
No matter your age, background, or stage of life, there’s a place for you at Indiana Wesleyan University. Discover programs designed to nurture your purpose, strengthen your faith, and connect you with a community that walks beside you every step of the way.
