It's never too late to get your high school diploma. It's usually a rite of passage for teens who are eagerly embarking on their adult lives after they graduate. But one plucky 99-year-old lady in Ohio named Georgia McGarry just got that all-important piece of paper - 81 years after she dropped out during World War II!
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We are sure that Georgia was as thrilled to get it as she would have been as a young girl alongside her classmates. In fact, she declared, "It means an awful lot, because that was a long time ago - 1944," according to the New York Post via WTOV.
How did life and history combine to delay the awarding of Georgia McGarry's diploma for so long?
Let's see what happened to sidetrack this remarkable woman and why!
World War II Changed Georgia McGarry's Life Dramatically, As It Did For Countless Others Across America
She Had To Drop Out Of High School
The war upended many lives on the homefront. Per the Post, "McGarry left high school in 1943 during her junior year because her family needed her to work as World War II raged on overseas. She worked at a pharmacy and then later as a janitor with her husband, but she always dreamt of graduating high school."
McGarry's Friend Helped Her Get Her Diploma
Marie Adams Kindly Played A Pivotal Role
Marie Adams knew how much it would mean to Georgia McGarry to be awarded her high school diploma. Given the fact that Georgia is quite elderly - she's nearly 100 - there was no time to waste. Marie contacted the Switzerland of Ohio school district to set everything in motion.
Marie concocted a clever ruse. She led Georgia to believe that they were heading out to grab dinner. Instead, the women went to the school district headquarters where Georgia finally got a huge surprise - her diploma.
According to the Post, "Loved ones and friends were on hand as Superintendent Phil Ackerman handed her the diploma - dated May 19, 1944, from Woodsfield High School on the day she was supposed to celebrate the milestone. McGarry also received a cap and gown during the special ceremony."
