logo
youtube.com/WKYC Channel 3
youtube.com/WKYC Channel 3

94-Year-Old Former School Bus Driver Gets High School Diploma 79 Years after Leaving School

Junie Sihlangu
Jun 07, 2021
03:50 P.M.

An elderly woman who is close to turning 100 has become an inspiration after going back to school to get her High School diploma. Footage showed the woman while she graduated.

Advertisement

This month, Grace Lee McClure Smith, 94, finally got her an honorary high school diploma. The former school bus driver did not get her diploma when she put her education on hold in 1942.

McClure Smith graduated with a special honorary ceremony that was organized by one of her grandchildren. She even got to wear the red graduation attire as she celebrated.

A bunch of high school graduates throw their graduation caps up in the air while celebrating outdoors | Photo: Pixabay/Gillian Callison

A bunch of high school graduates throw their graduation caps up in the air while celebrating outdoors | Photo: Pixabay/Gillian Callison

Speaking to WAAY-TV, the elderly woman said she was very grateful to have finally achieved her goal. In a clip shared by WKYC Channel 3, she was all smiles as she posed for the camera and said to WAAY-TV:

"It's better late than never, isn't it?"

Advertisement

In 1942, McClure Smith dropped out of Hazel Green High School at the age of 16. At the time, the teenager was already a wife, and she left school so her husband could go off to World War II.

Her granddaughter, Erin Wilson, explained how her grandmother had never mentioned any regrets in life. She wouldn’t change anything because she had loved her husband.

Wilson, who helped make the graduation possible, felt high school graduation was quite important to her grandmother. The Alabama elderly woman worked as a bus driver.

Advertisement

Generations ago, the elderly man [Jerry Moon] failed to finish his schooling…

She managed to stay close to education by driving for the Madison County School Systems for over 30 years. As the years progressed, McClure Smith even urged her family members to continue studying.

Wilson, a teacher at Legacy Elementary School, even shared that she rode her grandmother’s bus when she was in school. The teacher described her grandmother as a role model to many children.

Advertisement

McClure Smith was blessed with 26 great-grandchildren. She wasn’t the only elderly person to receive the high school diploma this year, as Jerry Moon, 84, also followed in her footsteps.

On May 28, 2021, the Mississippi man got dressed up in his graduation cap and gown got his high school diploma during the commencement at Port Gibson High School. Moon joined 94 other graduates.

Generations ago, the elderly man failed to finish his schooling after bureaucratic mistakes prevented him from receiving it. After getting his diploma, he said he was “thrilled” and didn’t know what to do with himself.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Elizabeth Taylor Was ‘Responsible for Raising’ 10 Grandkids — One of Them Has Her ‘Famous Violet Eyes’

September 28, 2023

Boy Who Got Bullied by a Girl at School for 6 Years Grows up & Sends Her a Stuffed Bear

September 29, 2023

Man Introduces Fiancée to Family — She Runs Out of Room in Tears after His Sister Exposes Truth about Her

July 27, 2023

6-Year-Old Schoolboy Is 1-Minute Late to School – Mom Accidentally Finds Out about His Harsh Punishment

October 31, 2023

Student Humiliates the Girls Who Refuse to Date Him — His Grandma Requests He Be Shamed Publicly

October 02, 2023

Eva Longoria’s Sister Could Barely Tie Shoes with ‘4th Grade’ Mind, Yet Actress Deems Her ‘Light of My Life

August 11, 2023

Italia Anita Maria Smith Chose a Career Away from the Spotlight – Her Life as LL Cool J’s Daughter

September 28, 2023

Jason Momoa Reunited with His High School Girlfriend after 25 Years

October 26, 2023

Noah Kahan's Girlfriend Is a Teacher – Facts about Their Relationship

September 22, 2023

31 Times People Took Brutal Revenge on Their Cheating Partners

October 04, 2023

Alan Jackson’s Siblings: The Singer Has 4 Older Sisters

September 20, 2023

Teen Puts Dad in Prison after Years of Suffering —15 Men Walk Her Down the Aisle in His Place Years Later

August 04, 2023

10 Celebrity Kids Going to College in Fall 2023 & Their Schools of Choice

July 31, 2023

Mom Notices Little Son Is Losing Weight, Learns New Teacher Takes His Lunch Every Day – Story of the Day

July 24, 2023