81-Year-Old Graduates From College: Grandma Fulfills Lifelong Dream

New York resident Trudy Murdock is trending the new 20 as a fresh college graduate from Rockland Community College at 81. To hear Trudy Murdock talk, age never daunted her from fulfilling her lifelong dream to become a college graduate.

Obstacles To Her College Degree

6 ABC reports that Trudy Murdock had to deprioritize graduating from college for most of her life. At the 15, Trudy Murdock became the family's breadwinner as a bank worker.

Come her late 30s, Trudy Murdock attempted to pursue a college degree in nursing. However, Trudy Murdock had to skip a college degree once again to take care of her sick mother.

At that time, Trudy Murdock also had to look after three children besides working a full-time job. Not much room, or time, was left for Trudy Murdock and her college degree plans.

A College Freshman At 77

The upside of Trudy Murdock going to college late in life is being able to be independent of student loans. Trudy Murdock told Michelle Charlesworth of WABC-TV that she paid for her classes in cash.

Speaking of how she overcame any stigma attached to being more mature than most of her classmates, Trudy Murdock spoke about believing that a person is never too old to learn.

After years of happy marriage to husband John, Trudy Murdock finally enrolled at the Rockland Community College at the age of 77. According to the local celebrity, she saw that all her young classmates had backpacks and were busy texting on their phones.

To fit in, the persevering grandma took out her own phone and texted her granddaughter. In fact, Trudy Murdock uses FitBit and targets 6,000 steps per day.

Finally A College Graduate

Rockland Community College president Cliff L. Wood believes that Trudy Murdock's presence was a benefit to her classmates. According to Cliff Wood, her college classmates were curious and interested to hear Trudy Murdock's opinions, especially because hers differ from theirs.

Trudy Murdock has one advice to give. "Hold on to your sense of wonder," she said. "I'm interested in things; I don't go someplace and not pay attention to what's around me.

In fact, Trudy Murdock is not the oldest college graduate in America. USA Today reports that DoreethaDaniels became a college graduate at the age of 99.