Grandpa’s Graduation: This Man Never Gave up on His Dream

The usual course of life these days stops at the life stations of school, college, job, marriage, family. Usually in that order. But that’s not how the life of Giuseppe Paterno went. His college graduation was in July 2020, when he was well into his 90s. The oldest student in his class, and possibly ever, was 96 years old when he finally crossed a college degree off his to-do list.

A lifelong dream

For a long time, attending college was just a dream for Giuseppe. Back when he was younger, not everyone could afford a college education, and for him, the offer wasn’t even on the table. He and his family were struggling financially, and, as we all know, tuition is a hefty expense. During World War 2, Paterno joined the navy and fought for his country. In fact, he was only able to complete his high school education at 31 years old. At this point, it was quite an achievement, but college was still no more than a dream.

Powering through

Even with all the hardships that Paterno has faced in his life, he’s never given up on his dream. He was 93 when he signed up for a degree in History and Philosophy, realizing his window of opportunities won’t stay open forever. College life might be a struggle for a student in his 90s, but Paterno, mind you, has seen much worse in his life to let a quad and a few professors bring him down.

With high honors

Giuseppe not only got to accomplish his lifelong dream. he did it better than anyone else in his class. He graduated top of his class and was highly praised by his professors, namely his sociology professor, who said he was an incredible role model for students of all ages. Paterno’s college’s chancellor was also incredibly proud of the senior citizen and his achievements. This one-of-a-kind student is proof that age is just a number and that you can achieve anything as long as you are passionate enough about it.