105-year-old Virginia “Ginger” Hislop received her master’s degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), over eight decades after she first enrolled. Hislop, who had earned her bachelor’s degree in 1940, had nearly completed her master’s program when her plans were interrupted by World War II, leading her to prioritize her personal life over academic ambitions.
Virginia, reflecting on her decision to leave school, shared, “I thought it was one of the things I could pick up along the way if I needed it, and I always enjoyed studying. Getting married was a bigger concern at the time.”
Decades later, with changes in the university’s graduation requirements, Hislop was finally able to claim her degree. At the graduation ceremony, attended by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she expressed her joy: “My goodness, I’ve waited a long time for this.”
Her family’s educational legacy, deeply rooted in teaching, celebrates this moment as a testament to lifelong learning. Her son-in-law Doug commented, “The biggest lesson I’ve taken from her is that you never really stop learning. She’s a voracious reader, and at 105, she’s still actively moving and shaking. No moss grows under her feet.”
