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Dallas Grandma, 82, Earns High School Diploma

A woman in Dallas got something she's wanted for decades, her high school diploma.

"Our entire family is so happy and proud that our matriarch has finally achieved something she's been wanting her entire life," said granddaughter Marion Nelson.

Nelson told us her grandmother, Hurley Gardner, grew up in Waco in the 1930s and never had the opportunity to get her high school education.

At the age of 80, she enrolled in a program in Dallas to earn her diploma.

"They began with the basics and worked their way up through all core courses," Nelson said. "She attended school part-time each day for three hours, along with working."

Now at 82, Gardner finally has her high school diploma.

Her family shared video from Gardner's graduation day. Wearing a classic gown with a blue stole, the crowd rose to its feet to cheer her on as she walked the stage. There was even more applause as Gardner wrapped her hand around her high school diploma and held it tightly. After all these years, she is a high school graduate.

And, at a time when Gardner should be slowing down, she still has a job to do. She's a certified nurse assistant caring for elderly patients in their homes.

"She only works part time but she doesn't retire at the moment because she believes that her work keeps her energy and keeps her alive," Nelson said.

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