She’s thanking God for her many blessings!
Shirley Smith was raised on a tobacco farm in Wilmington, North Carolina, and her family moved to Somerville, New Jersey, in 1956 after the tobacco rate plummeted, Fox News reports. Faced with a precarious decision, her father gave his daughter the option to continue school or go into the workforce to help the family out.
“I was going to the 10th grade, and I told him, the biggest mistake that I made, I think, was telling him that I didn’t want to go to school. And he said, ‘Go to work,’” Smith recalled.
From there, she began a career of working in various sectors, taking jobs at a dry cleaner and then a purse factory before she eventually got married and started a family of her own. Smith and her family would relocate again, this time to Georgia, where while she entertained the idea of returning to school, her responsibility of raising her family became her first priority.
Despite never completing her own studies, Smith vowed to make education a priority with her own children, requiring them to go to school in exchange for living under her roof, an expectation she said her children never struggled with.
“Matter of fact, they cried to go to school. Even when it was snowing, they wanted to go to school,” said Smith.
Over the years, Smith has watched her children and grandchildren obtain their degrees, receiving an education at top universities all over the nation, including Texas A&M, Montclair University, California State University, Fullerton, University of Tampa, and University of Mississippi.
“My nana never missed a high school or college graduation for any of her children or grandchildren, said Smith’s granddaughter, Brianna Robinson.
Over the years, she has continued to champion and celebrate her family’s accomplishments, spending her time working in her church and as a missionary, where she dedicated decades to taking care of the sick and poor. Smith found comfort in the fact that her children never went without shelter, food, or clothing, and they all made her proud by taking the foundation that she laid and keeping the family legacy strong.
“I had family members that encouraged me to trust God…We always had decent places to stay, and I just held onto my faith,” said Smith.
Recently, the matriarch celebrated her 85th birthday surrounded by family and friends. While there, she gave a heartwarming speech about her life and reflected on her life and legacy. In attendance was Montezuma Police Department chief Eric Finch, who quickly thought of a way to honor Smith for all she had given to her family and community.
“He felt like it was robbery to not give her her diploma,” explained Smith’s daughter, Tan Galia Robinson.
This past weekend, Finch made good on his promise, and Smith gathered with family and friends to graduate with her high school diploma 67 years after what would’ve been her original graduation date. Shocked when she initially heard the news, Smith got dressed in her Sunday’s best, donning a purple and white dress beneath her black cap and gown, and she walked across the stage to receive the honorary diploma. Smith called the full-circle moment a blessing from God.
“ I think it’s an honor, and I think it’s a blessing…I’m really appreciative, and I’m really thankful to God. I always try to figure out, ‘What do people see in me?’ I draw people, no matter what color they are, who they are – I just draw people,” said Smith.
Shoutout to 85y/o Shirley Smith of Americus, GA who graduated from high school on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/LMonqFcwGH
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) June 3, 2024advertisement
The celebratory occasion was marked by the presence of her loved ones, as Smith took endless pictures to capture the moment. When asked what she’d be doing next, Smith laughed, saying she’d soon be headed to personally thank God himself.
“I’m getting ready to go to heaven; that’s what I’m getting ready to do. I’m going to get my reward from him,” Smith said with a smile.
Congratulations Ms. Shirley!
Cover photo: 85-Year-Old Georgia Woman Graduates From High School With Honorary Diploma/Photo Credit: Brianna Robinson/FoxNews