Betty Reilly graduated from Florida Atlantic University with her first bachelor's degree in a long and arduous road, to the delight and amazement of her five children, 12 grandchildren and 13 great-granchildren who find her a role model of the ages, according to ABC News.
Reilly had to drop out of high school close to graduation when she became ill with Hepatitis A after eating raw oysters in Times Square as a teen. The year it took for her to recover from the debilitating illness squashed her dreams of not only getting that high school diploma, but also her college dreams.
So she went to work, met her husband and raised a family, like most people. It wasn't until she applied for a job at a library in Sunrise, Fla. that this then 78-year-old self-processed bookworm realized her lack of degreed education can come back to hurt her. The librarian told Reilly at the time that she needed a high school diploma to work there.
So off went Betty Reilly to get an education, at the ripe old age of 78, according to the Jackson County Floridian. A teacher in her GED prep course praised Reilly's essay, stating it was "publishable," which set the next set of wheels in motion.
"That's all I had to hear," Reilly said.
College was not in her future, though, as Reilly had limited funds and no vehicle. However, she was advised to look into the Federal Pell Grant system, which took care of most of Reilly's tuition, books and fees, and she took the public transportation's hour-long bus to Broward Community College in Davie, Fla. to receive her Associate's Degree.
"There were all these young, bright kids who know the technology," said Reilly. "All I could do [on a computer] was get my email and get my horoscope."
But she mastered it and just walked proudly across the stage to receive her Bachelor's degree at Florida Atlantic University.
"I'm gung ho on education, and I believe it's never too late," Reilly said, according to The Sun Sentinel. "If I can do it, anybody can."
