LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Gray News/TMX) – A 72-year-old man became the first of his seven siblings to earn an undergraduate degree when he graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College earlier this month.
Video shared by the college shows Sam Kaplan walk across the stage May 11 to receive his degree in Cinema and Media Arts.
His 99-year-old mother was in the crowd cheering him on.
“She’s very excited,” Kaplan said of his mother. “She’s excited, happy and proud.”
According to a news release, Kaplan was 68 when he heard a radio advertisement for Georgia Gwinnett College, offering a degree program that involved script writing.
“Five minutes later, I was registering for the fall semester,” Kaplan said.
After graduating high school in 1969, Kaplan said he never considered college. The father of five held a variety of jobs over the years, including running a cleaning service, a…
