A 101-year-old student in Virginia, Sarah Simpkins, plans to graduate from college alongside her granddaughter after dropping out when she got pregnant with her first child 81 years ago.
Simpkins has just completed her first semester of Brightpoint Community College’s early childhood education programme with a 3.5 grade point average.
‘I returned to school. It was never out of my mind,’ Simpkins told WWBT, adding that she hopes to inspire somebody else.
The centenarian dropped out of Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of 20 after becoming pregnant with the first of her 12 children.
‘So I went on, and I got married,’ the 101-year-old said. She spent most of her life growing her family and raising kids, but she had always wanted to earn her degree.
Simpkins moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Virginia at the age of 96 to live with her granddaughter, Halimah Shepherd-Crawford, who is now enrolled at the same community college located in Chester.
‘I study the assignment, explain it to her, and then she gives me her answers,’ Shepherd-Crawford said.
‘I’m her hands and eyes, but it’s her brain. She’s still super sharp.’ the granddaughter said proudly.
By the time the grandmother-granddaughter duo receives their diploma from the college in May of next year, Simpkins will be 102 years old.
But age is always just a number for Simpkins. When asked how old she is, she answered: ‘It feels like 42.’
Simpkins had always wanted to return to school, ever since her departure when she was 20, and 81 years later, she finally seized the opportunity.
‘It’s something that I had to do,’ Simpkins said. ‘I’m very, very grateful that God has enabled me to do this.’
Virginia’s Higher Education Act of 1974 allows seniors over 60 to enroll in higher education courses for credit or audit classes without paying tuition or fees.
Apart from that, Simpkins is no different from others at school, ‘enjoying every step of it’ and ‘being with the other students,’ she said.
Simpkins, who was a semi-professional bowler, said her favourite courses include in-person art classes on Tuesday and Thursday.
‘When I go to do the homework, that’s easy. A piece of cake,’ she said before bursting into laughter.
At 101 years old, she attributed her longevity to a simple yet profound philosophy—staying joyful at all times.
‘You know what? I never plan that far ahead,’ Simpkins said. ‘Living in the moment.’
Shepherd-Crawford said her grandmother has always been an inspiration.
‘It’s special because we both will finish together, and we’ll both walk across the stage together.
‘It made us work harder. And that was our motivation. We’re gonna do this together. We’re gonna finish together.’
