Stanford awards master's degree to a 105-year-old great-grandmother
What's the story
Virginia "Ginger" Hislop, a 105-year-old great-grandmother, was awarded her master's degree from Stanford University this past weekend, over eight decades after she initially left the institution.
Hislop had been on the cusp of completing her master's in education in 1941 when World War II broke out.
With her fiancé preparing to enlist, Hislop chose to set aside her thesis.
Despite having finished all necessary coursework, she hadn't completed her thesis and consequently shifted her focus due to the war.
Life shift
Hislop's journey: From army wife to education advocate
Hislop married her college sweetheart, George, and spent the following five years traversing the US as an army wife.
During this period, she gave birth to two children but remained fervent about education.
Hislop desired to attend law school, but her father's refusal to fund it led her to pursue a teaching career instead, opting for a shorter path.
Educational impact
Hislop's legacy: A lifelong advocate for education
After World War II, Hislop relocated to Yakima, Washington, where she dedicated herself to expanding educational access.
She served on numerous committees and boards, striving to enhance educational opportunities.
Her initiatives included opposing middle school curricula that required home economics but not advanced English for girls, advocating for independent community college districts in Washington state, and fundraising for Heritage University.
Graduation day
Long-awaited recognition: Hislop receives master's degree
Daniel Schwartz, the dean of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford, presented Hislop with her master's diploma over the weekend.
Schwartz confirmed that a thesis is no longer a requirement for the Master of Arts degree and that Hislop had fulfilled all other prerequisites.
With the aid of a cane, an elated Hislop walked across the stage to receive her long-awaited diploma.
Lasting legacy
Honoring Hislop: Scholarship named in her honor
Pacific Northwest University honored Virginia Hislop's steadfast dedication to education by establishing a scholarship named the Virginia Hislop Emergency Fund.
Her dedication to education was inspired by her aunt, who served as a principal of a public school in West Los Angeles's Sawtelle Japantown neighborhood.
Hislop firmly believes that education can unlock limitless opportunities for the future.