A 72-year-old Georgia resident reached a huge educational goal on May 11 as his family beamed with pride.
Sam Kaplan is now the first of his seven siblings to get his bachelor’s degree, Today reported Monday. He worked extremely hard to achieve the diploma for studies in Cinema and Media Arts at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville.
Sam Kaplan graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College earlier this month."She's excited, happy and proud," Kaplan said of his mom.
Posted by WTOK-TV on Monday, May 22, 2023
However, the day was even more special because his 99-year-old mother was in the audience during the ceremony, overcome with joy.
“She’s excited, happy, and proud,” he commented.
Atlanta News First shared a photo of him holding his mother’s hand at the event:
We're sending a HUGE congratulations to to 72-year-old Sam Kaplan who graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College. Last…
Posted by Atlanta News First on Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Kaplan graduated from high school in 1969. In the years since, he has run a cleaning service, a telemarketing company, and also worked as a taxi driver and in customer service.
When he was 68, he learned from a radio advertisement the college was offering a degree that involved scriptwriting.
“Five minutes later, I was registering for the fall semester,” Kaplan recalled.
The journey was not easy as he had to learn how to study again, but Kaplan also made time to get to know his fellow students on a deeper level.
“When you ask a student about what they want and plan on doing and find out what they want to do with their lives, I think that’s uncommon with a lot of kids — they don’t get that with people,” he said, adding that on the final day of classes, many of them hugged him.
Meanwhile, video footage shows the moment when he walked across the stage to receive his diploma and the crowd went wild:
72-Year-Old Graduates From College
Your daily reminder that it’s never too late to try something: Sam Kaplan, a 72-year-old man, received a chorus of cheers upon graduating from Georgia Gwinnett College on May 11.'This is my first undergraduate degree,’ said Kaplan. 'I’m the first of my seven siblings to earn a degree.’Best of all, Kaplan’s 99-year-old mother was in the audience to see the moment, too. Kaplan says he graduated from high school in 1969, but never pursued a college degree. He worked various jobs, including running a cleaning business and driving taxis, before deciding to return to his education at the age of 68.
Posted by NowThis on Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Kaplan, who has 15 grandchildren, wants them to know it is never too late to pursue your dreams, he told News Nation.
“If you work hard, you can do it… this is a great foundation, and you can do whatever you want,” he stated.
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