Earlier this month, a great grandmother from Gwinett County, Georgia accomplished a life-long goal when she graduated from college 58 years after graduating from high school.

“Going to college is a big deal. I didn’t know if I could do it. But I always wanted to,” Janet Lively told WSBTV.

Lively graduated from high school in 1962, and she proceeded to get married and have children that were followed by grandchildren and great-grandchildren. While Lively loved raising her family, the idea of going to college never left her mind.

“I was raising a family. A modest income didn’t allow for college. Not to mention no time. I enjoyed being a mom,” she explained.

In 2012, Lively decided to go about making the dream she’d had for decades come true when she signed up for classes at Georgia Gwinnett College majoring in history. Over the next eight years, she took a few classes at a time, inching her way towards her diploma semester by semester.

This year, Lively’s dream finally became a reality when she was part of the graduating class of 2020 and the virtual commencement at the age of 75! On top of that, she managed to graduate summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA.

“I think it’s a fantastic achievement,” said Dr. Richard Rawls, who was one of Lively’s professors. He added that Lively is as enthusiastic as they come and incredibly intelligent.

“Oh, it’s wonderful. She’s very wonderful to have in class,” Rawls continued.

For Lively, college was everything she had hoped it would be and more.

“I have enjoyed every minute of it. Learning, being on campus. I have enjoyed meeting the professors. They are all wonderful,” she said. “And being around those students made me feel younger. They accepted me. We were buds and we would hang out. I got so much from it.”

While some graduates may have been disappointed that the pandemic made a more traditional ceremony in an auditorium impossible, Lively said the this was never important to her.

“I’m not used to any pomp anyway,” she said. “Very humble surroundings. I’m used to just going with the flow. Meeting this milestone and having my kids be excited for me is all I need. I’m an emotional person to begin with. Anything that touches me deeply, I tear up about it. Going to school has been such a blessing for me.”