80-Year-Old Is Alabama University's Oldest Graduate, Graduating Magna Cum Laude In Social Work

Dec 30, 2019 by apost team

Donzella Washington graduated from Alabama A&M University on Dec. 6, 2019, at the age of 80. Not only that, but she was a stellar student too, earning magna cum laude honors in earning a 3.64 GPA, a 4.0 in her last semester of work.

She dedicated her work to Jeff, her late husband who died eight years earlier. She also thought often of her father during her time at Alabama A&M and when she graduated, telling Good Morning America that he knew the value of gaining a college education.

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This amazing woman had lived with Jeff on a farm in Pixley, a small place of 3,000 people situated midway between Fresno and Bakersfield in central California.

While she was there, she took a few speech classes at the College of the Sequoias in nearby Visalia to help her overcome stuttering issues. She also spent some of her earlier life working in real estate, but she never found time to earn a college degree.

That all changed after she moved to Alabama to live with Kimberly, her daughter, following Jeff's death. In fact, Kimberly has been one of Donzella's biggest fans, later saying to GMA that she had "seen her work tirelessly to achieve this dream" and that was she was proud to see her on stage receiving her diploma.

Meanwhile, Donzella is showing no signs of slowing down. She wants to accomplish so much more during her remaining years. She's considering earning a master's degree and also wants to continue volunteering her help wherever she can.

The amazing woman told Rocket City Now in an interview that "learning is just really fun." She added that "it's never too late," encouraging others to follow in her footsteps. "You have a dream. Please finish that dream. You can do it."

Who is the oldest college graduate that you know of? What struggles did they overcome to accomplish that, both throughout their life as well as while earning the degree? Tell us below. Pass this article on to your friends and family.