At the age of 101, an elderly man fulfills the “dream of a high school diploma”

A man who had to drop out of school in the 1930s managed to get his high school diploma at the age of 101.

The Jefferson County Education Authority, West Virginia, said 101-year-old Merrill Bateman Cooper was a regular at Storer School, but had to drop out in 1938 after he and his mother moved for financial reasons to Philadelphia.

And, according to the United Press International, the American news agency, Cooper expressed his regret for not graduating from high school, during a visit in 2018 to his former school campus, which made members of his family contact the district schools.

These efforts culminated in this March, when Cooper was awarded an honorary high school diploma from the Jefferson County Schools, at a graduation ceremony attended by his family.

“Jefferson County Schools are committed to helping every student, young or old, achieve their dreams,” said Jefferson County Schools Director Bundy Learn.

“For Mr. Cooper, that meant earning a high school diploma,” he added. “We are honored to help make this dream a reality.”