101-year-old student plans to graduate alongside granddaughter

She had always hoped of returning to complete her degree

Sarah Simpkins from Virgina dropped out of the education system when she fell pregnant with her first child, some 81 years ago.

However during that time, Simpkins has always had visions of going back to college and at the age of 101, has decided now is the time to do so.

Having finished the first semester of her Early Childhood Education programme, she has now moved one step closer to graduating.

Asked why she chose to return, she said: "So that I might inspire somebody else. I returned to school. It was never out of my mind."

Despite the age gap to the rest of her classmates, Simpkins has said she has had no problem fitting in while the homework is a "piece of cake".

Her granddaughter Halimah Shepherd-Crawford also studies at the same college and occasionally helps out with her workload.

Shepherd-Crawford said: “I study the assignment, explain it to her and then she gives me her answers.

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

Shepherd-Crawford added that it would be a privilege to graduate alongside her gran.

"It’s special because we both will finish together, and we’ll both walk across the stage together," she said.

"It made us work harder. And that was our motivation. We’re gonna do this together. We’re gonna finish together."

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