Ella Washington, 89, was Liberty University's oldest graduate in the Class of 2018. She walked across the stage Saturday, May 19. (Photo: ABC 33/40 News, Twitter)
An 89-year-old woman who is also a new college graduate isn’t stopping there – she’s already working towards a bachelor’s degree.
Ella Washington, who graduated Saturday with an associate degree in interdisciplinary studies, is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in history at Liberty University in Virginia, according to the college.
Washington enrolled in Liberty’s online program in 2012, following a suggestion from one of her 12 children.
“She has always been a lifelong learner,” Washington’s daughter, Ellen Mitchell, said in a statement. "Her desire for learning and for pursuing an education became a family tradition. She taught all of her children how to read, write, and do math prior to their beginning school, just as her grandmother taught her and her siblings.”
As for her drive to learn more about history, Washington said “everybody should know their history and learn more about it … There’s nothing wrong with learning more.”
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During her 89 years on earth, Washington has worked a variety of jobs to support her children, ranging from a custodian at the Pentagon to an office assistant to a certified nursing assistant at an adult daycare. She only stopped working about six years ago, according to a press release.
“Coming to D.C., there weren’t many opportunities for a poorly educated black woman,” Mitchell said. “But she worked hard doing whatever she could to make sure we were taken care of.”
The oldest graduate in Liberty's Class of 2018 had this to say about her drive to learn: "Education will help you make the best life for yourselves and those who come after you."
NEVER TOO LATE: 89-year-old woman earns her degree from Liberty
https://t.co/Ez28pEPr3Bpic.twitter.com/d0Ew0Glru5 — ABC 33/40 News (@abc3340) May 24, 2018
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UntieTheKnot on May 25th, 2018 at 18:01 UTC »
Had a 70 something year old grandma in one of my classes at university. She said she always wanted to get a degree but was born into a poor family on a reserve and she married young so she hadn’t the opportunity. It wasn’t until her husband passed that she decided she didn’t want to die before achieving her dream of having her doctorate.
I liked having her in my study group because she was so uplifting, especially during exam time. Whenever we’d get discouraged, she’d always joke that if she could memorize and remember the notes with her “old brain” we had nothing to worry about. Plus she would bring treats. As someone who was fresh out of high school and in a new city, her baked goods eased the homesickness.
She always had top marks and ever since then, I’ve used her as an example to encourage people that they’re never too old to go back to school.
samurguy990 on May 25th, 2018 at 16:28 UTC »
Unlocking all the achievements i see
OzzieBloke777 on May 25th, 2018 at 16:06 UTC »
I don't know... these "professional students" who never get a real job...
(Disclaimer: This post not to be taken seriously, more than four times a day, or per rectum.)