The Emmy Award-winning actress, who decided to go to college for the first time at the age of 51, declares in a new post that 'it's never too late' to pursue education.
- May 9, 2022
AceShowbiz - Leah Remini has finished her first semester at New York University. When celebrating the special milestone on social media, the former "Kevin Can Wait" star said she's "glad" that she decided to continue her education.
"Going to college for the first time at 51 after living most of my life in a cult and only having an 8th grade education hasn't been easy," the actress wrote on Twitter and Instagram. "But I took my first NYU final exams this week and I'm glad I decided to educate myself. It's never too late. It's tough, but it's worth it."
When celebrating her NYU enrollment back in January, Leah claimed Scientology has "interrupted" her education for years. Sharing a throwback photo of herself, she first penned, "This photo was taken when I was 16. I was so proud of this headshot. I thought my side pony made me look so versatile and like the consummate actress."
"By this point, I had been living the life of an adult for years even though I was just a kid," she added. "Scientologists are taught that kids are no different from adults. So from a young age I was held accountable like an adult and regularly told that anything bad that happened in my life, even things that I wasn't responsible for, was my fault."
"Even though I was just 16 at the time, I hadn't received any sort of formal education for years. Instead, I was working to earn a living to support myself and my family," Leah continued. "For the last 38 years of my life, I have been living and working with an 8th grade education... I saw a successful acting career as a salvation. It would help me get my family out of poverty and give me a higher standing in Scientology which I truly believed was helping to save mankind."
Leah, who shared her acceptance letter from NYU in May 2021, is still in disbelief that she is now pursuing a college degree after years of working. "Had you told me then that I would be a student at NYU at age 51, I wouldn't have believed it. I had big dreams but looking back they were rooted in my desire to survive, not to educate myself," she pointed out.
