93-Year-Old Receives Diploma 75 Years After Leaving High School

A 93-year-old woman receives diploma 75 years after she got forced to leave high school. Thanks to her loving family, she finally got what she had been waiting for, for almost eight decades.

The WABC reported that Eileen Delaney expected to celebrate her 93rd birthday with her family. However, she did not expect to get her high school diploma after leaving Richmond High School.

A Birthday Surprise

Delaney told the outlet that she had no idea it was going to happen. She said that she had a good life and was very lucky, so getting the diploma was like the cake's topping. Maureen Delaney, her daughter, told "PEOPLE" that her mom is their Cinderella because she is one great lady that makes the best of everything and has been the foundation of their family.

(Photo: Facebook/Maureen Delaney)

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Stopped Schooling to Work

The WABC said that Delaney's niece first came up with the idea to surprise her on her birthday. According to the outlet, the Staten Island woman's family knew that she got forced to stop schooling midway through her senior year because she had to get a full-time job.

She told WABC that her stepmother insisted on working during her senior years if she wanted to live in the house. She said that she had no choice because she had to pay the rent. Thankfully, she got hired at New York Telephone Company even though she did not have a high school diploma.

Soon, she met Eugene A. Delaney, whom she got married to, and they welcomed six children after. Now, she has eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren while she lives in Virginia.

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Maureen told her cousin Holly Delaney Wade that they have to do something because they knew about Delaney's life story, especially now that the 93-year-old's class would be having the 75th graduation anniversary this year.

Reaching Out to School Alumni

Her 64-year-old daughter explained that it was time for her mom to get her diploma after her cousin remembered her mother's story. According to WABC, Wade reached out to the Port Richmond High School alumni association to ask them for help.

The school's principal, Andrew Greenfield, happily obliged and said that it was the "easiest and happiest" decision that he had made since this year started. Delaney told the outlet that she got completely caught off guard when she received the gift on her birthday.

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The Family Was Touched

She explained that she had always received letters from the alumni association for being a member, but she had no idea about the surprise waiting for her. Her family said that they were also moved that Delaney had received the honorary diploma.

Maureen said that the school's principal was kind to hear her cousin's request and acted so quickly. They had a special zoom event with the family. Delaney Elliot, Eileen's granddaughter, told WABC that it was the least they could for her grandma, who did everything for them, never asking for anything in return.