Sammy Jean Davis of Hazel Green, Alabama, recently participated in a long-overdue ceremony: her high school graduation.
(Literally, it's been 84 years since she was 18!)
At 102-years-old, Sammy Jean Davis was a bit older than her fellow graduates, but when she was their age, Davis was already married and raising a family.
As her daughter, Leslie Cross, told WHNT,
Societal norms in 1939 just kept mother from being able to go and do what our students have an opportunity to do now.
Davis dropped out of school after the eighth grade in 1939, after getting married and working to help support her family through the end of the Great Depression. She went on to manage a family business and farm before working for the University of Mississippi until her retirement.
After a full life and career, she was honored with a high school diploma at Hazel Green High School, where her great-grandchildren have also graduated from before her.
The 102-year-old told WHNT,
I am so excited about having a diploma. I don't hardly know how to express it. 102 and getting the diploma is something special.
After an 87-year hiatus from school, I'd say that's a pretty special moment indeed!
Watch our latest video 👇
