This 105-Year-Old Grandmother Just Earned Her Degree 83 Years After Being Forced to Leave University
Imagine: 83 years ago, a young, ambitious woman set aside her university dreams to marry the love of her life and start a family.
This woman is Virginia Hislop, whose academic journey was interrupted in favor of a happy home and a life dedicated to educating others, even without the diploma she once coveted. But the story doesn’t end there!
It was 1940. The world was plunging into the turmoil of World War II, and Virginia, a Stanford student, was on the verge of completing her master’s degree. But then, love and duty called.
Her fiancé, George, was drafted for the war, and Virginia, choosing to support him, put their personal plans on hold.
Virginia never abandoned her passion for education. She was involved in various school boards, using her experience to enrich education in her community.
Decades later, learning that the requirement to write a thesis for her master’s degree was no longer in place, a new opportunity opened up for her.
With emotion and to the applause of her family, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Virginia, at the impressive age of 105, took the stage to receive her long-awaited diploma.
The moment was historic, not only for her but for the entire university. Daniel Schwartz, the dean of Stanford, highlighted the beauty of celebrating someone who has so valued learning throughout her life.
Words from Virginia’s son-in-law remind us that age is just a number for passionate and active minds: “Moss doesn’t grow under Virginia’s feet.” Always active, she continues to read, volunteer, and enjoy life at every moment.
