101-year-old college student set to graduate alongside granddaughter | US News

A 101-year-old plans to graduate college in the US alongside her granddaughter – 81 years after dropping out of university.

Sarah Simpkins just finished her first semester of Brightpoint Community College’s early childhood education program in Chester, Virginia.

At the age of 20, she dropped out of Allen University in Columbia, in South Carolina after becoming pregnant with her first child.

Sarah went on to get married and have 12 children, but told WWBT, returning to education had ‘never been out of my mind’.

She moved from Brooklyn, New York to Virginia when she was 96 to live with her granddaughter Halimah Shepherd-Crawford, who is also now enrolled at Brightpoint and expected to graduate at the same time.

Due to Sarah’s age, Halimah helps her with certain aspects of the course.

‘I study the assignment, explain it to her and then she gives me her answers,’ she explained.

‘I’m her hands and eyes, but it’s her brain. She’s still super sharp.’

By the time the grandmother-granddaughter duo receive their diploma in May next year, Sarah will have turned 102.

On her desire to study again, Sarah said: ‘It’s something that I had to do. I’m very, very grateful that God has enabled me to do this.’ 

Virginia’s Higher Education Act of 1974 allows those over 60 to enroll in higher education courses for credit or audit classes without paying tuition fees.

Sarah said she’s ‘enjoying every step of it’ and ‘being with the other students’.

The former 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. 

Asked the secret to her longevity, Sarah says she has a simple approach to life – staying happy and joyful at all times.

She also said she never plans that far ahead, and enjoys ‘living in the moment’.

Halimah said her grandmother has always been an inspiration.  

She added: ‘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.’

In March this year 101-year-old PE teacher, Madge Brown, whose lessons were interrupted by WWII missiles was finally awarded her degree 60 years after graduating.

Madge didn’t get a degree when she studied at teacher training college in the 30s and 40s, bu now has the all-important piece of paper.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.