Anthony Sementelli enrolled at Indian River State College at 58 years old. He applied alongside his two teenage daughters. Two years later, he graduates with a degree in business administration — proof, he says, that life only finishes when you decide it’s over.
When Covid Reset Everything
For most of his adult life, Anthony ran a family business he started as a young man. Then the pandemic hit. Consumer habits shifted. Inflation squeezed margins. The business he had built over decades no longer fit the world he was living in. “Covid kind of took the lights out of that company,” he says plainly. Rather than rebuild something he no longer believed in, Anthony chose a different path entirely. “I realized I really didn’t want to do what I was doing anymore,” he says. “I needed to reinvent myself — and I needed to add some education to match my business experience.” That decision brought him to The River.
A Family Affair: Enrolling with His Daughters
What happened next is the kind of story that doesn’t come along often. As Anthony made his application to The River, so did his daughters — one 17 years old, one 16 and dual-enrolled. They filled out applications together, registered for classes together, and even sat in some of the same courses. “College was a family affair at my house,” he says with a laugh. One daughter has since transferred to a school up north. The other still studies at The River today.
Studying Together: A Give-and-Take Between Generations
Sharing the college experience with his daughters gave Anthony something unexpected: quality time he would never have had otherwise. They studied together, navigated challenges together, and watched each other grow. His daughters saw up close what it takes to re-enter school after 40 years away — relearning study habits, adapting to modern classroom technology, wrestling with concepts that had simply never existed before. Anthony, in turn, saw the pressures his daughters faced as first-time college students and helped them through them. “It was really a give and take,” he says. “A blessing to me.”
The River Made Room for an Adult Learner
Anthony started part time, unsure how far he’d go or how well he’d do. The River met him where he was. “They have resources that make learning easy, if you make those available to yourself,” he says. “As long as you’re willing to put in the time, The River is willing to support that in every way possible.” For a returning adult juggling a completely rebuilt life, that support made all the difference.
A Navy Veteran Who Knows How to Dig In
Anthony’s resilience didn’t appear out of nowhere. He served in the U.S. Navy beginning in 1985, during peacetime, and credits those years as some of the best of his life. “I met some of my lifelong friends there,” he says, “and learned a lot about what it takes to keep our nation free.” That foundation — discipline, perseverance, the ability to adapt — carried him through the obstacles he faced as a student decades later.
Walking Across the Stage at 60
When Anthony crosses the commencement stage this spring, he will do so having completely altered his life to make it happen. “I persevered through the obstacles I faced,” he says, “and now I get to enjoy the benefits of having faced that challenge and succeeded — in a big way.” The man who applied at 58, uncertain of what he could achieve, graduates at 60 with a business administration degree and a clear-eyed sense of what comes next.
His Message: Jump In
To anyone who thinks they’ve aged out of a fresh start, Anthony’s message is direct: you haven’t. “It’s never too late to reinvent yourself,” he says. “I’m a perfect example.” He doesn’t dress it up. “You can do anything you put your mind to. Life only finishes when you decide it’s over.” Then he adds one final word of encouragement that sums it all up: “Jump in. The water’s warm — and the future looks bright.”
YOUR FUTURE’S IN MOTION.
ARE YOU?
College doesn’t have to be confusing or out of reach.The River gives you the clarity, support, and energy to move—on your terms.
