Entertainment TV Leah Remini Celebrates Finishing Her First Semester at NYU: 'It's Never Too Late' "It's tough, but it's worth it," Leah Remini wrote of completing her first semester at NYU, where she was accepted last year after leaving the Church of Scientology in 2013 By Glenn Garner Glenn Garner Instagram Twitter Glenn Garner is a Writer/Reporter who works heavily with PEOPLE's Movies and TV verticals. Since graduating from Northern Arizona University with a dual major in journalism and photography, he got his professional start at OUT Magazine, The Advocate and Teen Vogue, and he's since consistently kept his finger on the pulse of the LGBTQ community. His first book The Guncle Guide was released in 2020 and was featured on Katie Couric's list of 100 recommended books of the year. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 7, 2022 06:15 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Leah Remini. Photo: Eric McCandless via Getty Leah Remini is closing the book on a successful first semester of college. The Emmy Award winner, 51, completed her first round of finals this week at New York University, celebrating her academic achievement Saturday on Twitter with some words of encouragement for her fellow lifelong learners. "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," Remini wrote. "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." Leah Remini Says Daughter Sofia 'Wouldn't Be the Strong-Minded Kid She Is Now' If She Hadn't Left Scientology Remini, who just received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding game show host on PEOPLE Puzzler, previously revealed that she was accepted to NYU, where she's working toward an associate's degree in their Liberal Arts program, sharing her admissions letter on Instagram last May. "I am so excited, in tears and wanted to share this with you guys," Remini wrote at the time. "For someone like me, a person who desperately wanted a higher education and options in my life, coming from a cult and a family who didn't value an education, this is a very big day for me. This didn't come easy." "This is one of the last chunks of my life that I am taking back for myself from Scientology. It took a lot for me to take this step, for fear that I was not smart enough, not worthy enough, not able to do the work that will be required, my age ... I did it anyway with a lot of encouragement from a very special person in my life," she added. Remini previously spoke to PEOPLE about juggling her first semester of college and work as an actress, wife, and mother. "It's been amazing," she said in February. RELATED VIDEO: Leah Remini Remembers 'Nothing' on Working With Ben Affleck on 1995 Movie: 'I Was Petrified' "It's been difficult when I'm working because sometimes I'll work from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and then have to come home and read chapters and do a quiz when my brain is shutting down," Remini added. "But I'm doing it, and I am proud of myself. With my degree, I might eventually want to go into politics, but who knows? I would like to be of some kind of public service." Remini left the Church of Scientology in 2013 after growing up in the controversial religion. She opened up about her experience with the church in her 2015 book Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, as well as on her Emmy-winning docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.