“I accomplished what I wanted to do… this is my dream come true,” Doreetha Daniels said.
She’s old enough to remember the
Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, the collapse
of the Berlin Wall, and most recently, the rise of the digital
information age.
Adding
one more historical event to her life, 99-year-old Doreetha Daniels
graduated college on Friday, accomplishing her own personal goal of
earning a college degree before turning 100.
“I accomplished what I wanted to do… this is my dream come true,” she said.
“I accomplished what I wanted to do… this is my dream come true,” she said.
Daniels
stole the show at the graduation ceremony at the College of the Canyons
when she was presented her diploma for associate of the arts degree
from College of the Canyons.
She’d been dreaming of going to
college since she was a young girl growing up in Nebraska. Her final
inspiration to go to school came when she watched her grandchildren get
their master’s degrees.
“So I said well, I’m not doing anything, I’m tired of my hobbies, so I’m going to go to school,” Daniels said.
She
lost her driver’s license after suffering two strokes during her seven
years studying at the college. Her son said despite the impediment, she
didn’t slow down.
“Yeah, she’s fragile but her mind is sharp as a tack,” Robert Daniels said.
Daniels also interned at the counseling office and stole the hearts of the entire staff.
“You
are so inspirational and have impacted the lives of all those who had
the honor of working with you,” College counselor Liz Shaker told
Daniels.
Now
that she has her associate’s degree, her family is encouraging her to
go for her bachelor’s. Doreetha said she’ll think about it.
