A 105-year-old woman who began at Stanford University in 1936 recently returned to campus after an 83-year absence to receive her graduate degree — and she or he’s been inspiring people ever since.
Virginia Hislop graduated from the Palo Alto, California, university a couple of weeks ago with a master’s degree in education, Stanford’s news website said.
Daniel Schwartz, dean of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, shared the main points with Fox News Digital in a telephone interview.
“I spotted I [didn’t] must worry about giving a graduation speech,” Schwartz told Fox News Digital concerning the experience.
He said he would just “introduce Virginia – or ‘Ginger’ – and that’ll be enough to set the mood.”
Hislop first enrolled at Stanford as an undergraduate student in 1936, in accordance with Stanford’s Graduate School of Education.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in education in 1940, Hislop remained at Stanford to pursue a graduate degree while teaching, the university said on its news website.
But then love and war intervened.
Dreams dashed by World War II
By 1941, Hislop had accomplished her coursework and was preparing to show in her final thesis when the person who would turn out to be her husband was called to serve during World War II, Stanford’s news website reported.
So she put her educational plans on pause to get married and left campus before graduating.
“I believed it was one in all the things I could pick up along the best way if I needed it and I at all times enjoyed studying, in order that wasn’t really an ideal concern to me – and getting married was,” she told Stanford’s news website.
After several years of moving across the country as an Army wife, Hislop eventually settled with her husband and two children in Yakima, Washington, after the war, she told the Yakima Herald-Republic in 2018.
“I didn’t return to teaching, but I feel I put my teaching certificate to good use serving [on] committees and on boards and attempting to improve the tutorial opportunities every likelihood I got,” she told the publication.
Thus began an educational profession spanning greater than 80 years at municipal, county and state levels in Washington, Stanford’s news website reported.
When her daughter Anne was preparing for top school, Hislop was “not pleased” that a house economics course was being suggested for her daughter as a substitute of advanced English, she told the Yakima Herald-Republic — so she sought a seat on the local school board.
Hislop won.
“I felt that she could learn to cook at home, and it was more vital that she learn more academic skills in school,” Hislop told Stanford.
Hislop went on to function a founding board member for what was then often called Yakima Valley Community College.
She helped to boost money for what would turn out to be Heritage University in nearby Toppenish, Washington, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.
Hislop even helped establish a scholarship at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in 2017, the Washington institution said on its website.
It is known as the Virginia Hislop Emergency Fund.
‘Waited a protracted time for this’
Throughout the recent graduation ceremony, Schwartz spoke of Hislop as a “fierce advocate for equality” and said he was “proud to confer the Master of Arts in education to our 105-year-old graduate.”
Schwartz told Fox News Digital that Hislop’s participation within the graduation ceremony won’t have happened were it not for Hislop’s son-in-law, who asked if Schwartz would bestow her with an honorary degree.
When Schwartz found Hislop’s original transcripts from 1941, he realized she wouldn’t need an honorary degree.
“We mapped her courses from back within the day to current courses, and it satisfied the present requirements for a master’s degree,” he told Fox News Digital.
Schwartz said Hislop’s son-in-law was “elated.”
Even at age 105, Hislop was “strong and sharp,” Schwartz said, as she walked across the graduation stage to receive her degree.
“If I had not seen the transcripts, I’d have thought this was a hoax,” Schwartz said.
“She is moving around and talking like someone 25 years younger.”
The moment was one which Hislop, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren likely won’t soon forget.
“I’ve waited a protracted time for this,” she said on the graduation ceremony.
Since her graduation, people online have been sharing their admiration for her achievements in various forums.
“Sharp mind even at her age,” one person wrote.
One other said, “Awww. She’s still so astute. I don’t know why this made me cry. Amazing.”
Still one other wrote, “Congratulations to her and will God bless her [for] many more years to come back!”
A 105-year-old woman who began at Stanford University in 1936 recently returned to campus after an 83-year absence to receive her graduate degree — and she or he’s been inspiring people ever since.
Virginia Hislop graduated from the Palo Alto, California, university a couple of weeks ago with a master’s degree in education, Stanford’s news website said.
Daniel Schwartz, dean of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, shared the main points with Fox News Digital in a telephone interview.
“I spotted I [didn’t] must worry about giving a graduation speech,” Schwartz told Fox News Digital concerning the experience.
He said he would just “introduce Virginia – or ‘Ginger’ – and that’ll be enough to set the mood.”
Hislop first enrolled at Stanford as an undergraduate student in 1936, in accordance with Stanford’s Graduate School of Education.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in education in 1940, Hislop remained at Stanford to pursue a graduate degree while teaching, the university said on its news website.
But then love and war intervened.
Dreams dashed by World War II
By 1941, Hislop had accomplished her coursework and was preparing to show in her final thesis when the person who would turn out to be her husband was called to serve during World War II, Stanford’s news website reported.
So she put her educational plans on pause to get married and left campus before graduating.
“I believed it was one in all the things I could pick up along the best way if I needed it and I at all times enjoyed studying, in order that wasn’t really an ideal concern to me – and getting married was,” she told Stanford’s news website.
After several years of moving across the country as an Army wife, Hislop eventually settled with her husband and two children in Yakima, Washington, after the war, she told the Yakima Herald-Republic in 2018.
“I didn’t return to teaching, but I feel I put my teaching certificate to good use serving [on] committees and on boards and attempting to improve the tutorial opportunities every likelihood I got,” she told the publication.
Thus began an educational profession spanning greater than 80 years at municipal, county and state levels in Washington, Stanford’s news website reported.
When her daughter Anne was preparing for top school, Hislop was “not pleased” that a house economics course was being suggested for her daughter as a substitute of advanced English, she told the Yakima Herald-Republic — so she sought a seat on the local school board.
Hislop won.
“I felt that she could learn to cook at home, and it was more vital that she learn more academic skills in school,” Hislop told Stanford.
Hislop went on to function a founding board member for what was then often called Yakima Valley Community College.
She helped to boost money for what would turn out to be Heritage University in nearby Toppenish, Washington, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.
Hislop even helped establish a scholarship at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in 2017, the Washington institution said on its website.
It is known as the Virginia Hislop Emergency Fund.
‘Waited a protracted time for this’
Throughout the recent graduation ceremony, Schwartz spoke of Hislop as a “fierce advocate for equality” and said he was “proud to confer the Master of Arts in education to our 105-year-old graduate.”
Schwartz told Fox News Digital that Hislop’s participation within the graduation ceremony won’t have happened were it not for Hislop’s son-in-law, who asked if Schwartz would bestow her with an honorary degree.
When Schwartz found Hislop’s original transcripts from 1941, he realized she wouldn’t need an honorary degree.
“We mapped her courses from back within the day to current courses, and it satisfied the present requirements for a master’s degree,” he told Fox News Digital.
Schwartz said Hislop’s son-in-law was “elated.”
Even at age 105, Hislop was “strong and sharp,” Schwartz said, as she walked across the graduation stage to receive her degree.
“If I had not seen the transcripts, I’d have thought this was a hoax,” Schwartz said.
“She is moving around and talking like someone 25 years younger.”
The moment was one which Hislop, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren likely won’t soon forget.
“I’ve waited a protracted time for this,” she said on the graduation ceremony.
Since her graduation, people online have been sharing their admiration for her achievements in various forums.
“Sharp mind even at her age,” one person wrote.
One other said, “Awww. She’s still so astute. I don’t know why this made me cry. Amazing.”
Still one other wrote, “Congratulations to her and will God bless her [for] many more years to come back!”
