At 105 years old, Virginia “Ginnie” Hislop has achieved an extraordinary milestone by earning her master’s degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), a journey she commenced over eight decades ago.
Ginnie originally took the necessary courses at Stanford in the 1940s. However, her plans were disrupted by the onset of World War II, just as she was about to submit her final master’s thesis.
Her then-boyfriend, George Hislop, was called to serve in the war, which led Ginnie to leave her studies to marry him. She contributed to the war effort and later devoted herself to raising their family.
While navigating family life with two children, four grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren, Ginnie also served on school and college boards in Washington State for many years.
Over time, Stanford removed the thesis requirement for the degree. Seizing this opportunity, Ginnie returned to the university and, on Sunday, 16 June, proudly walked the stage to receive her master of arts in education.
Upon receiving her diploma from GSE Dean Daniel Schwartz, Ginnie was heard saying, “My goodness, I’ve waited a long time for this.”
In an interview with “Good Morning America” that aired on Wednesday, Ginnie expressed her joy at achieving this long-awaited goal.
“False modesty has never been one of my problems,” she remarked. “I felt I deserved it, and I was delighted to get it.”
Congratulations to Ginnie