‘I feel very wild’: 102-year-old woman fulfills dream of earning a college degree

CHESTER, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) – At 102 years old, Sarah Simpkins has fulfilled her dream of earning a college degree.

She graduated from Brightpoint Community College’s Early Childhood Education program alongside her granddaughter Halimah Shepherd-Crawford on Monday night.

“I can’t even express my emotions right now,” Shepherd-Crawford said. “It was all an idea, and we’re here now. And I’m just so excited for my grandmother that she accomplished what she wanted.”

Watch the big moment:

Simpkins told WWBT in December that she “feels like 42″ when asked how old she is. (She was 101 at the time.)

“I feel very wild,” Simpkins said Monday night. “I feel very grateful to God for letting me do whatever I do. Thank you, God.”

Returning to college was something Simpkins wanted to do for decades.

She dropped out of Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of 20 after she got pregnant.

She focused on growing her family and had 12 children, but she never lost sight of her goal.

“It’s something that I had to do,” Simpkins said. “I’m very, very grateful that God has enabled me to do this.”