US Woman, 105, Completes Her Masters 83 Years After She Started The Course

It’s never too late to fulfil your dreams, even if everything around you seems impossible. An elderly woman from the US, has proved that acquiring education does not have an age limit. The woman, in her 100s, successfully completed her Masters from Stanford. Let’s take a look at her inspiring story. As per the reports by the ABC7 website, the 105-year-old named Virgina Ginnie Hislop received her Masters degree from Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), after 80 years of beginning her journey at the institution.

Virginia attended the required classes for her course during the 1940s at Stanford. Right before she submitted her final Masters thesis, World War 2 happened, halting her graduation plans. George Hislop, her boyfriend at that time, was called to serve in the war, which forced Virginia to leave the school and marry him. She also worked as a volunteer in the war, while also focusing on raising her family.

She is a mother to two children, a grandmother to four and a great-grandmother to nine kids. While taking care of her family, she worked in school and college boards in Washington state, the following decades of the war.

When Stanford dropped the need for a thesis, Virginia decided to return to the institution, to complete her graduation. On June 16, Sunday, she walked the stage to accept her Master of Arts in Education.

When GSE Dean Daniel Schwartz awarded her the diploma, Ginnie Hislop was heard saying, “My goodness, I’ve waited a long time for this.” Talking to the media, the Dean stated, “Fast-forward 83 years, we don’t have a thesis requirement anymore, so she’s actually satisfied the requirements for a Master of Arts in the Graduate School of Education.” He further stated that they are proud to honour a woman “who has done so much.”

Virginia Hislop interacted with the media, revealing that she wished she had completed her degree. Being a college director for a long time and seeing others with advanced degrees prompted her to feel that way. At the ceremony, she was supported by her grandkids, who waved and cheered for her as she graced the stage.