Sam Kaplan, a 72-year-old resident of Lawrenceville, Georgia, in the United States, is one of Georgia Gwinnett College's graduates who received their degrees this month. His 98-year-old mother was also present at the graduation ceremony.
In this graduation season, he was the talk of the town, and when he was walking to get the degree from Georgia Gwinnett College, the audience cheered loudly for him. Mr Kaplan received his degree in cinema and media arts production.
According to the Fox News, Kaplan's journey to graduation was not a typical one. After graduating from high school in 1969, he never considered going to college. However, four years ago, Kaplan had a chance encounter on the road that would change the course of his future.
"I was riding down the highway and heard on the radio they were offering this degree. The next exit was Collinsville, so I exited off and five minutes later, I was registering for class," Kaplan said.
With an interest in scriptwriting and having authored two books already, Kaplan decided to major in cinema and media arts, reported the the news outlet.
I've always liked to write, I love to tell stories," Kaplan said. "I thought I could turn my stories into screenplays, but I needed to have the foundation of what to do."
Mr Kaplan acknowledged that returning to school after 50 years was difficult but ultimately gratifying.
"It was exciting, nervous, but it was a challenge. Learning how to study again and interacting with the students was a lot of fun," Kaplan said. "I'm very excited, and I feel proud of myself for doing this."
