This 105-Year-Old Woman From California Finally Received Her Master’s Degree From Stanford University After Leaving The School In 1941
There are so many people out in the world who wanted to get their undergraduate or master’s degrees when they were younger, but life got in the way, and they were never able to within the average time frame.
However, some people are still able to make it happen, no matter how old they are.
One of those people is Virginia Hislop, a 105-year-old woman from Palo Alto, California, who finally received her master’s degree from Stanford University after leaving the school in 1941.
Virginia was a hardworking young woman who attended Stanford’s School of Education and received her bachelor’s degree in 1940. She had dreams of becoming a teacher, so she started working toward her master’s degree in education that year.
Virginia comes from an impressive line of educators in her family. Her aunt was the principal of a school in Los Angeles, and her grandmother taught children in Kansas before the Civil War.
Virginia had completed all of the coursework she needed to earn her master’s, but before she could officially hand in her thesis and get her degree, her then-boyfriend, George Hislop, who was a student in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, was called to serve in World War II.
With that news, Virginia and George decided to tie the knot as soon as possible, and she left campus.
In interviews, Virginia expressed that she felt her school work was something she could always return to when she got the chance, but at that moment, she knew marrying George was a priority due to the war.
The couple lived in Washington following the war and started a family together. While she was unable to return to Stanford to receive her degree officially, Virginia never stopped dedicating her life to education.
michaeljung – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
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One of the most impressive things she did was demand that when her daughter, Anne, started first grade, her school allow her to take an advanced English class instead of the recommended home economics course.
She felt learning to read, write, and analyze text was more important than learning how to cook, which was something she could be taught at home.
After becoming such a powerful force at her daughter’s school, Virginia became a member of the school board and stayed on for over 10 years, helping decide what courses would be best for its students.
Virginia then worked her way up, becoming a more influential role in her community’s school system.
She was chair of the Yakima School Board of Directors, was on the board of directors for Yakima Community College, and served on the board of Heritage University in Toppenish, Washington, for 20 years.
Today, Virginia still resides in Washington and does as much community work as possible while enjoying more leisurely activities like reading and gardening. She is not only a grandmother but a great-grandmother as well.
Then, in June, Virginia was invited to participate in the Stanford Graduate School of Education graduation ceremony and finally receive her master’s degree.
Virginia proudly walked across the stage at Stanford University and received a standing ovation as she finally held her well-deserved and long overdue degree in her hands 83 years after she left.
Congratulations, Virginia, and thank you for all you’ve done for your community’s schools!
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