I don't get a lot of older students, but people think I am a student constantly.

I spent maybe 45 minutes talking to a parent last year while he was waiting for folks to clear out of an event he arrived late to. I got him set up with where he was going and where his kid was. It wasn't until the end I realized he thought I was a student that worked in the area I was discussing with him rather than being his daughter's professor and boss since she works in my costume shop. I'm also in my thirties. It made me laugh, but his daughter was terribly embarrassed when came out of the event to me explaining I was a professor to her dad, despite my assurances that it was totally fine.

A maintenance guy kept popping his head into my shop when I put a work order in and disappearing before I could speak with him. It turned out he'd thought I was one of the students so he was waiting for the professor to show up. His first response once I caught him was, "I forget how young professors can be." He was pretty shocked when I explained it was my fifth year as a professor and, as it turned out, he was only a few years older than me. He's a super nice dude and takes care of all my equipment now. I had a machine break just last week and a new one magically appeared overnight, thanks to him.