On today’s 51%, for graduation season, we celebrate non-traditional students who returned for their degree later in life.

And we’ll hear a first-hand experience of walking across the graduation stage: mine.

Some people grew up with parents who drilled into them over and over: after high school you go to college, you get an internship, you get a good job, then you get married and so on… But what about those of us who had a more round-about journey? Who did things “out of order” because we couldn’t afford school right away or weren’t sure what degree was for us or… joined the military -- and then found our way back to school? What about the people who had to get a big dose of life before they knew what they were meant to study? Today, we celebrate those people.

Like Vivian Rose Cunningham, who just graduated with her first bachelor’s degree.

“And I say this, I'm a young 78,” Cunningham said.

She graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama with a degree in liberal studies.

Cunningham says others might find it pointless to graduate later in life, but to her it was a lifelong goal – she refused to give up.

Cunningham says she was raised by strong women.

“I grew up with my mom and because of my father, who had passed away at the age of 24, so she actually raised me,” Cunningham said.

Children Are A Full-Time Gig

Cunningham says having children put her educational goals on hold. She married at 18, worked at a dress shop in Atlanta for about a year, and then had her daughter and son. She moved back to Birmingham and worked as a night custodian to support her children.

“After getting pregnant with my daughter, then I couldn't work or do anything,” Cunningham said. “I couldn't even go to school at that time. But it was always in the back of my mind that I was going to get any education, you know, have a bachelor's or associate’s or something. So when I came back to Birmingham, after the marriage didn't work, I ended up with my mom and while living with her, I was hired with Alabama Power Company. And I was hired on the night shift, and I worked there 13 years on that shift. Well during that time with the little kids, I couldn’t go to school. So when I found out about the reimbursement program at Alabama Power, I started looking into the school situation then but it was 13 years after because I had to sleep during the day.”

Cunningham worked her way up to the mail room, which meant no more night shift -- and she heard about the company’s Tuition Reimbursement Program. The stars were aligning and her mind drifted back to dreams of higher education. She started with community college, doing a few semesters at Birmingham Southern.

“Each time I had to drop out for something – you know either for the job, overtime or whatever,” Cunningham said. “So, something would come in between and stop me from going to school. So once all of that was over with I would start again.”

Cunningham then earned her associates degree in paralegal studies from Virginia College.

“And from there I wanted more, I was not satisfied with just the associates degree,” Cunningham said. “So, I decided I wanted to get a bachelor’s.”

So she enrolled at Samford University.

“I picked up a brochure or pamphlet or something that they had out that showed that they had a professional facilities evening program,” Cunningham said. “And so I looked into that. And with the credits from Birmingham Southern and through UAB, I was able to be enrolled at Samford University.”

Whatever It Costs

Cunningham says she understands that student loans can seem intimidating, but she says it’s worth it.

“If you had that dream, and you really want to get your education or finish school, or whatever. I mean, if you just put forth that effort, and whatever it costs, however you can be funded – just go for it,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham says growing up in Birmingham, she didn’t see many Black people attending college. But