A 74-year-old man named David Morris has achieved his dream of completing his university education 50 years after he dropped out. He graduated from Harris Stowe State University, in the United States.
David, from Missouri, graduated from Harris Stowe State University and made history as the oldest graduate in his class and the institution. He told Kjc8 that he has been on a mission to graduate college since 1973.
“I walked across that stage and it seemed like everybody was genuinely happy for me. Don’t give up. If it’s worth it, you got to fight for it,” he said.
David said his quest to get his degree began after he was drafted into the military. However, he faced many obstacles on his path to graduation including, the loss of his siblings, wife, and daughter, as well as suffering a stroke in 2007.
“Nothing worth having comes easy. If you tell somebody your dreams and they’re not laughing and shaking their head at you, you’re not dreaming big enough,” he said.
Karen Czmarko, an academic advisor at the university, who was his success coach stated that David’s determination shows that it is never too late for one to follow their dreams. “He is someone who is like, this is not a dream deferred,” Karen said.
”This is something I’m going to do. You’re never too old, and it’s never too late,” she added. David mentioned that he plans to go to Law school and achieve a bigger dream as a Lawyer.
David added that a local attorney who found out about his aspirations has volunteered to assist him in getting into law school and passing his bar exam.