Stanford University’s Post

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Yesterday, at the age of 105, Virginia “Ginger” Hislop graduated from Stanford University Graduate School of Education with her master’s degree. When she started on campus in 1936, her plan was to get her bachelor’s of education, which she did in 1940, and obtain her master’s of education so she could teach, which she started directly after. However, just after completing her coursework and before turning in her final thesis, her then-boyfriend George Hislop, ’41, a GSE student in Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), got called in to serve during World War II, prompting the pair to get married and Virginia Hislop to leave campus before graduating. Now – 83 years after leaving campus and living in service to learning – Virginia Hislop returned to Stanford to finish what she started and receive her graduate degree. When she rose from her seat at the ceremony, donned in cap and gown, to walk across the stage and receive her master’s hood, the applause roared. She was handed her diploma and smiled for the cameras. Her grandkids waved and cheered. “My goodness,” she said. “I’ve waited a long time for this.” 🗞️: https://lnkd.in/g_zMm3kb 📸: Charles Russo

  • Virginia in her cap and gown, while holding her diploma.
Brit Fleck

MPH Candidate at Yale School of Public Health, Social & Behavioral Health

3w

I HAVE A GRIN LIKE NO OTHER ON MY FACE

Jill Meyers, FRAeS

🔹 Driver of Good Things 🔹

3w

Gives me inspiration to maybe restart my Masters, which I've started and stopped twice since 1991. 🤔

Dana B. Lichtstrahl

Integrative Psychologist; Mental health professional; divorce mediation

3w

WOW. Thank you so much for this truly inspiring post, Kiran. 45 years after receiving an undergraduate degree, I am working my way through a PhD program in psychology. Now I feel I'm in very good company!

Marisa Co

Vice President Real World Data Analytics, Innovation & Partnerships

3w

Ginger, you are an inspiration across generational boundaries!

Ari Rostowsky

Your partner to better health

3w

If you pursue your dreams with determination and never give up, you will persevere.

It is very true that Asian students are having a difficult time finding scholarships for some strange reasons. I know so because I had been there and done that. My advice to all students across the board is that hard work, dedication and perseverance and determination will pay off in the long run. For those who want to go back to school starts at a community college and then you can transfer to a four year college. I started out at Pima then I transferred to University of Arizona .By the time I graduated I was already OLD. I was 56 years old. It was a difficult task because I am a single mom with 3 kids and have to work 2 jobs but I made that determination to get my bachelor degree in education. No matter what the obstacles are you have to persevere and willing to work hard to get to the top of the ladder. Even though It Long!!!! time to get my degree but the bottom line is I got it. It’s a tough job but somebody got to do it

Octavian Piciu

Senior Consulting Engineer

3w

Age is just a number Follow your dream with all your passion and you will get there 👏👏👏

I am turning 75 and was stressed “what now”. Thanks, Virginia, now I am relaxed, “plenty of time for bigger and better “. Stay healhy and smiling!

Arun Udai

Director, ADUZA | Assistant Professor, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad

3w

It's a great decision by Stanford University to let her complete her studies. A few excellent students working under me at IIT had to drop their master's when they could not finish just the last 2-3 months of their master's program. They are never given a chance to complete, whatever the reason. Congratulations and hat off to the lady.

Mwata Chisha, Ph.D.

Academic |American Institute of Applied Sciences| Wayne Sate College | Senior Scholar at University of Lusaka

3w

One lesson we can learn from Ginger is that people pursue post secondary education for different reasons. The reasons may not even be to solve societal problems. They may be to satisfy their minds of curiosity or to simply grant themselves the bragging rights: "Been there, done that." I get petrified when I hear some people trying really hard to confine the pursuit of tertiary education to higher earning or coming up with the greatest thing since sliced bread. Said who? Some people may just want to find out how it feels to walk barefooted on the road less traveled. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

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