John Anema’s bucket list may seem ordinary to some. Spending time with family and friends tops his “to-do” list, which got a little shorter in October.

That’s when Anema, who is battling lung cancer that has spread to his brain, defended his dissertation for a doctoral degree in rehabilitation studies from East Carolina University. He graduated Dec. 16.

“I looked at my life and wanted to see what I might regret (not doing), and getting my Ph.D. was one of those,” Anema, 64, said. “It came more to the forefront when I was diagnosed.”

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