For some, they never graduate and go on to live their life and often never go back. However, some do, and it is so inspirational. Take this man for instance.
Merrill Pittman Cooper went to Storer College which closed down in 1955 and is now a national park. In 1938, he was forced to drop out of college.
Jefferson County Schools sent out a press release which stated, “life circumstances intervened when he moved with his mother to Philadelphia for financial reasons during his high school senior year. He lived in Philadelphia for the next fifty years, pursuing a career in transportation and rising to the position of union vice president.”
It wasn’t until 2018 that Merrill went and visited Storer College. He regretted not finishing school but knew there was nothing that could be done.
His family contacted the school and after several agencies got together and worked on it. They were able to present Merrill with an honorary diploma!
Jefferson County Schools superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn, Harpers Ferry NHP superintendent Tyrone Brandyburg, and Storer College National Alumni Association president James Green, Jr. put on a graduation ceremony for Merrill and his family.
Gibson-Learn shared, “Jefferson County Schools is committed to helping every student, young or old, fulfill their dreams. For Mr. Cooper, that meant receiving a high school diploma. We are honored to help make that dream a reality.”
This 101-year-old man deserves it! What a heart-warming story.
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