Mildred Kouzel's first career was in nursing: she was an army nurse during World War II, and only began taking formal art classes in the early 1960s. In 1972, at the age of 50, she graduated from CSU Long Beach with a Masters of Art Degree.

Source:

https://www.askart.com/bio/Mildred_Kouzel/11318224/Mildred_Kouzel