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Stephen Price. (Nick Pearce Photo)

An active mind wards off many age-related challenges that can happen later in life. Student, musician and employee are all roles Stephen Price plays, and are all ways that he gives his mind a cognitive workout.

Nearly nine years after he began, and 30 years after joining the psychology department as support staff, Mr. Price, 54, has earned his psychology degree. 鈥淚 think a lot of older people who have been out of school for a while are very intimidated but it really does change the way you think鈥攆or the better,鈥� he says.

Mr. Price鈥檚 favourite course was History of Psychology. 鈥淭he professor was exactly how I had imagined a university professor would be,鈥� he says. 鈥淗e guided the class through spirited discussion on the origins of psychology, the core ideas and people who helped shape it, and how it was evolving.鈥�

For his thesis, Mr. Price researched energy drink use and misuse in Nova Scotia university students. His research examined how students are consuming the products and revealed that when alcohol and energy drinks are combined, significantly more alcohol is consumed than when alcohol is used alone. In addition, his study examined the personality factors that could lead to this form of substance use. He credits Dr. Sean Barrett, who studies addictions and multiple substance use, for helping him narrow his research.

While Mr. Price is unsure if he will pursue further studies following graduation, he looks back over the years it took to complete his degree with a sense of pride. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud that I set a goal and achieved it and that I did well,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檇 recommend it to anyone.鈥�