MOONBEAM — Luna Beneish leaps over obstacles on her way to a degree in molecular biology at age 76. Photo by

MOONBEAM — Luna Beneish leaps over obstacles on her way to a degree in molecular biology at age 76.
Photo by Serina Duarte

In Spanish luna means moon.

Bright, brilliant and wise, Luna Beneish is just like it.

Born in the barrio of San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, Beneish was bit by a scholastic bug leaving her with an intense passion for education.

At 76 years old, Beneish is a full-time student at Southwestern College, with hopes to one day transfer to San Diego State University.

“I want to study molecular biology and partake in cancer investigation,” said Beneish.

Her father, a violinist and her mother, a grand reader of literature, were not able to economically fulfill a complete curriculum for Beneish, halting her education at high school, where she obtained stellar grades and a gold medal for academia. A vantage from poverty, college did not appear on her horizon.

“I always wanted to study but we were too poor, if you do not work you do not eat there,” said Beneish. “There were many private but expensive universities, the public ones were catastrophically poor and glamorized by students trying to make it.”

La Guerra de las Malvinas, made her old colonial neighborhood undesirable causing her family to flee from the war-ridden town. As an American citizen her father requested a residence for her, which he obtained in only 4 months bringing them to the states in 1982.

Working as a bilingual interviewer for the universities of Michigan, Temple and San Diego State Beneish found a way to spend her time and earn money.

For 2 decades, she dedicated her life to her parents who both suffered and passed away from Alzheimer’s, bringing her to and from Argentina on 2 occasions, in 1987 and in 2008, respecting both of her parents dying wishes on separate occasions. Their illness put Beneishs life on pause for 20 years.

“I did it with all of my love, many times I mentioned to my father that I could not live the life of an 89-year-old because I wanted to go out, live, and study,” said Beneish. “But they could not keep up with my pace, and that is okay. Many family members suggested I settle my parents in a home but I did not have the soul or conscience for such a thing, it did not matter how many of my years I had to give them, they deserved it.”

“Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s is an all-day 24-hour job.”

Through pain came the desire to express herself, becoming a leave collector, Beneish found a parallel between leaves and people. Her collection has extended past 1 million leaves.

“I personally do not care about the origin, ossification or botany of each leaf,” said Beneish. “I simply classified them for their beauty and physical characteristics, like people leaves can be ugly or very beautiful.”

During the care of both of her parents, she found an outlet writing poems and short stories which she published online and wishes to publish a physical copy in the near future. Like the leaves she has collected, the stories and poems in her book titled honrando la naturalesa come in variety and are an expression of herself.

“I did not write to please anyone, I wrote as a necessity to express myself,” said Beneish.

Past her education she plans on continuing to live like the moon, full of energy alongside the stars.

“I will study until the final day of my life because I have the soul of a student,” said Beneish. “Age is simply a number, youth is carried in one’s spirit.”