The road to earning two doctorate degrees at the University of Hawaii at Manoa was a bumpy one for Karuna Joshi-Peters, who turns 72 in July. The mother of two decided on a whim to enter the university’s philosophy doctorate program after the idea popped into her head during a symphony concert in 2006.

She couldn’t recall the music playing at the concert or what date it was held, but she remembered that unyielding feeling to pursue philosophy, a discipline she had considered decades ago.

But soon after she was admitted to UH’s program, her doctor told her she had suffered a silent heart attack. The India native trudged forward with her schooling while working as a psychologist, but later decided to take a leave of absence to focus on her health.

The experience bore an uncanny resemblance to the challenges she faced when pursuing her first doctorate degree in psychology, which she earned in 1992, nearly 10 years after she began the UH program. During that period, Joshi-Peters took a leave of absence for another health reason — she was battling breast cancer.

“My first degree, I went into psychology and had breast cancer. So when I found out about the heart attack, I said, ‘I’m getting this degree,’” she said. “Sometimes adversity really brings out the stubbornness in us.”

Before Saturday’s advanced degree ceremony at the Stan Sheriff Center, husband Michael Peters, a retired UH professor, helped Joshi-Peters put on the same robe and hood she wore in 1992. She described feeling a sense of completion, joy, gratitude for her family and friends and sadness for those who could not be with her on her special day.

She chuckled to herself, reminiscing about the “strange and interesting” years she spent with classmates 30 to 40 years her junior.

“It was really wonderful to go back to school after the initial ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so much older than everyone else,’” she said while laughing. “It was kind of like being the grandmother, and I’m not a grandmother yet. It really was wonderful how bright and wonderful some of the younger people are. That kept me going on, also.”

Peters stood by his wife’s side while wiping away some of the lint and stains from her robe with a moist napkin.

“We’ve been working together to achieve this,” he said. “She never let the health issues get her down. I had no doubt in my mind (that she would finish).”

UH’s commencement ceremonies Saturday were filled with excitement as family and friends cheered on about 2,500 students at the packed arena. Several students donned decorated caps emblazoned with phrases such as “Game of Loans” and other catchy slogans.

During the morning’s three-hour undergraduate ceremony, keynote speaker U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz told graduates that decisions made in the “real world” may seem casual but many times are consequential.

“This is a time of transition for you. Life outside of the university is different,” Schatz said. “There are very few do-overs except for today. Today is one giant reset button. It’s what happens next that matters the most.”

Angela Davis, an activist and a University of California at Santa Cruz professor, emphasized the importance of a deep sense of place rooted in history and culture at the two-hour advanced degree ceremony in the afternoon.

“I hope that you will have the courage to draw upon the education you received here but also from the critical skills you have acquired from your peers and community activists,” Davis said. “In a time of great difficulty and disorder, you, the graduates, represent our very best hopes for democratic futures.”