[ti:70-Year-Old Lives the College Experience ]
[ar:Jerilyn Watson]
[al:Education Report]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]From VOA Learning English,
[00:02.52]this is the Education Report.
[00:05.82]Many schools across the U.S.
[00:08.02]hold graduation ceremonies this time of year.
[00:11.97]In some schools, even 5 and 6-year-olds
[00:16.63]observe their graduation from kindergarten.
[00:19.77]And so can older people, much older.
[00:24.37]Meet 70-year-old Jerry Reid,
[00:28.18]he just graduated from the University
[00:31.23]of Virginia in Charlottesville.
[00:34.10]He earned a bachelor's degree.
[00:36.74]Mr. Reid might not look like the average college student,
[00:41.60]his hair is definitely grayer,
[00:44.29]but still Jerry Reid's age is easy to forget.
[00:49.40]Other UVA students know him as one of their own.
[00:54.86]Mr. Reid (1:00) into the "Hoo Crew,"
[01:00.10]a group that cheers loudly for the school at sports events.
[01:05.01]He also joined a fraternity, a men's group on campus.
[01:19.10]He sang drinking songs along with many other students.
[01:23.21]Mr. Reid's school friends say
[01:29.96]they can talk to him about just about anything.
[01:33.28]About a half century ago, in his 20s,
[01:40.03]Mr. Reid was not in school.
[01:42.19]Instead, he was racing cars and chasing girls.
[01:46.64]But he says his friend Bill invited him to UVA parties.
[01:51.74]"Bill Sturman told me what a screwup I was
[01:55.46]that there was no way I'd ever make anything out of my life
[01:58.01]unless I came up here and went to school with him,"said Reid.
[02:00.31]That was in 1963, Jerry Reid says
[02:04.81]it took him 48 years to take that advice.
[02:08.15]In 2011, he entered college,
[02:11.66]his last examination before graduation involved
[02:16.06]the Civil War General for the Southern, Stonewall Jackson.
[02:20.47]UVA Professor Luke Wright says Mr. Reid influences students.
[02:38.87]Professor Wright says he opened the minds of the young adults.
[02:43.08]The teacher says Mr. Reid showed them
[02:46.58]that life does not end at 40.
[02:49.59]Instead, the 70-year-old college graduate believes
[02:54.14]that getting older can be the beginning of a dream.
[02:57.64]"Remember that path that you left waits for you.
[03:01.65]It's there. It's yours.
[03:03.15]All you gotta do is get out of your own way
[03:05.50]and get back to it.
[03:07.07]And, that's exactly what I did," said Reid.
[03:08.42]Mr. Reid says that he and his wife Susan
[03:11.71]now would take some time off to enjoy his college degree.
[03:16.01]Then, he'll return to UVA to begin studying
[03:20.64]for his graduate degree.
[03:22.89]And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English.
[03:30.09]For more education stories,
[03:33.29]go to our website 51voa.com.
[03:39.69]You can listen to our reports at our website or download them.
[03:44.84]You can follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn,
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[03:51.98]all at VOA Learning English.
[03:55.29]I'm Jerilyn Watson.
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