Four women in their 70s and 80s graduate elementary school in Yeonggwang County

The older grownup graduates, from left, Kim Quickly-deok, Jang Hwa-nyeo, Park Hyang-im, Lee Solar-sook, pose through the commencement ceremony at Goonseo Elementary College in Yeonggwang County, South Jeolla Province, Thursday. Courtesy of Goonseo Elementary College

A particular commencement ceremony passed off at Goonseo Elementary College in Yeonggwang County, South Jeolla Province, Thursday. Among the many six graduates, 4 have been aged ladies who fulfilled a lifelong dream of finishing their elementary schooling after lacking the chance of their youth.

Kim Quickly-deok, 81, Jang Hwa-nyeo, 77, Park Hyang-im, 76, and Lee Solar-sook, 75, acquired their diplomas after finishing six years of elementary schooling. Their faces lit up with smiles as they celebrated the milestone alongside youthful classmates and supportive academics.

The graduates expressed gratitude towards Kim Min-keon, a 13-year-old pupil who guided and supported them all through their journey. Performing as each their mentor and good friend, Kim ensured that they had all the pieces they wanted for lessons and supplied encouragement to them alongside the way in which.

Regardless of the calls for of farming and their getting old our bodies, the 4 ladies discovered pleasure and objective of their research.

Kim Quickly-deok, the eldest, shared that her want to study grew after elevating her youngsters, sending them to varsity, and watching them marry. Having channeled her unfulfilled want for schooling into supporting her youngsters, she ensured they graduated from faculty and received married.

It was solely afterward that she felt a deep longing to pursue her personal studying. Initially fearful about becoming in with classmates younger sufficient to be her grandchildren, she quickly shaped shut, family-like bonds with them, receiving their assist and care, which helped her graduate efficiently.

Their homeroom instructor, Park Jeong-jo, praised the 4 aged college students as exemplary, noting that they hardly ever missed a day of faculty, aside from ancestral rites. „They labored tougher than the youthful college students in topics like bodily schooling, laptop expertise, English, experiential studying and even faculty journeys,“ Park mentioned.

The ladies enrolled on the faculty after their households inquired about admission. With declining pupil numbers, the college welcomed them warmly. Though six aged ladies initially joined, two needed to drop out attributable to well being points.

Kim Quickly-deok, desperate to proceed her schooling, has now enrolled at Gunam Center College.

„Because of the scholars and academics who taught me like I used to be their grandchild, I used to be capable of full faculty with out a lot problem,“ Kim mentioned. „Though I are likely to overlook issues extra simply at my age and even attended additional lessons, there’s nonetheless a lot I wish to study. I’m decided to proceed learning in center faculty.“

A photograph taken final summer time throughout their sixth-grade 12 months. From left are Kim Quickly-deok, Lee Solar-sook, Jang Hwa-nyeo, Park Hyang-im, and pupil Kim Min-keon who guided and supported them all through their faculty years. Yonhap

Her son, Chung Gained-sik, mentioned, „As a guardian, I deeply admire my mom for overcoming numerous challenges and standing proudly because the star of her commencement. She has really embodied the saying, ‚Studying is aware of no age,‘ and I want her the most effective as she begins this new chapter in her life.“

This text from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Occasions, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Occasions.