20 Elderly Graduates Who Made Their Loved Ones Burst With Pride
People
09/14/2019

It’s never too late to go to college if you missed it when you were younger. Theresia Brandl got her school diploma at age 105, so if you think you’re well past the college-age, think again! Plus, having a person experienced in life will certainly enrich the classroom experience and make other students wiser.
So, if you thought you were way too old to start college, this Bright Side article may change your mind.
1. 72 years after being freed from a WWII internment camp, this 90-year-old couple finally got to graduate.
2. “The best part of my graduation ceremony last month...she got a standing ovation.”
3. And now he graduated!
4. “A friend of mine graduated from Law School at the age of 94.”
5. Kiyoko Ozeki, 88, is the oldest person to earn a doctoral degree in Japan.
6. Age is just a number. Leo Plass graduated at age 99.
7. “My dad just graduated at the age of 71. My mom wanted a nice picture of ’her boys.’ ”
8. “When my grandmother became the oldest graduate of East Tennessee State University at the age of 87 years old!”
9. “Today, my 62-year-old immigrant grandmother graduated. I couldn’t be more proud of her!”
10. Over 100 years old? Time is still ripe to graduate.
11. “A love of learning is essential.” — 93-year-old Dr. Lis Kirkby
12. “My dad and I (ages 51 and 25) just graduated from college in the same class!”
13. “Today my 73-year-old grandma finally graduates high school.”
14. 91-year-old Donald Doll received his high school diploma after leaving before graduation to join the Navy in 1945.
15. “I graduated with my mom last May and it was a very proud day for my grandma!”
16. “I accomplished what I wanted to do...this is my dream come true.” — Doreetha Daniels, age 99
17. Choo Siew Eng graduated from the prestigious NTU at the age of 56.
18. From fruit seller to this university’s oldest graduate
19. “My 72-year-old dad graduated from college with honors.”
20. “My 72-year-old grandmother graduating from college in 1991— she’s the coolest granny ever.”
Are you also as motivated as these people to pursue your own dreams, no matter your age?
Comments
Get notifications
Related Reads
12 Stories That Show Why Kindness Matters, Even When the World Gets Rough

People
03/04/2026
12 Moments That Prove Kindness Can Change a Life in Seconds

People
03/12/2026
13 Quiet Stories Where a Simple Secret Turned Out to Be a Beautiful Act of Kindness

People
04/13/2026
16 True Stories Where Quiet Kindness and Compassion Found a Way Into People’s Hearts When Life Got Ugly

People
03/05/2026
15 Stories That Teach Us Empathy and Kindness Are Things Nobody Can Ever Buy

People
04/10/2026
10 Moments That Show Quiet Kindness Is the Love the World Forgot

People
03/13/2026
12 Stories That Prove Kindness Is the Shortest Path to Happiness

People
03/04/2026
12 Beautiful Moments That Prove Kindness and Mercy Are the Bridges to Happiness and Hope

People
04/14/2026
12 Real Stories That Proved One Act of Quiet Kindness Can Reveal the Best in People When Life Gets Cruel

People
03/18/2026
15 Home Renovation Nightmares Nobody Saw Coming and Nobody Could Stop

Home
05/03/2026
14 Moments When Kindness and Compassion Reached People at Their Lowest

People
04/26/2026
15 Moments That Teach Us Life Gets Brighter When We Choose Kindness

People
03/17/2026













