An exceptional 88-year-old woman, Horace Sheffield has fulfilled her lifelong dream after earning a degree from Shorter University in the United States.
Ella, from Georgia, earned a bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies at Shorter University, United States. He walked across the stage alongside his tutor, Amanda Brannock to receive his diploma
Sheffield initially went to Shorter University from 1960 to 1965, but he quit before graduating to help educate his daughters.
“I dropped out with 115 hours. At that time a piece of paper on a wall didn’t mean that much to me. I had my education and my brain and my heart, and I put them all to good use. But 60 years later I wanted that degree,” he said.
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Sheffield obtained his bachelor’s degree through online courses after reading an article in a magazine that seniors could attend college for free. “I’m retired and living on a fixed income, and I did not think I could go to college and pay tuition,” Sheffield said.
“But when I saw this article that senior citizens could go to college for free, Shorter accepted me at no tuition. I paid a $200 graduation fee and that’s all I paid. I walked with a walker,” he added.
He credits Amanda for being the only reason he was able to pull off this accomplishment. He also thanked her for, who walking beside him to make sure he did not trip over wires or something.
“She wrote out my assignments and told me what to do and she expected me to do it. She expected me to make straight As and I did it. I wrote two papers a week and then had the test. I wrote it in long-hand and she typed it all up and put it into the computer. Without her I would not have this diploma today,” she said.
Amanda told ABC that she knew Sheffield from church. She said she took her own computer and printer to his house for him to use for classwork.
“I’m relieved because it was a lot of work. I lived with Horace more than I lived with my own family for the last two years. We’ve kept each other going. He’s inspired me to keep going and I hope I inspired him to keep going,” Amanda said.
”Graduation was one of the happiest days of my life. I cried like a baby. It was one of the most precious moments and I couldn’t have been more proud even if it was my own degree,” he added.
Brannock mentioned that during college, she faced challenges accumulating credit hours without a degree due to being led astray, causing a loss of financial aid.
Despite this, she was determined to support someone else in achieving her educational goal first which was why she walked across the graduation stage with Sheffield when he eventually graduated.
Even though Brannock has not obtained her degree, Sheffield promised to accompany her on stage too once she completes her studies.
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