This browser does not support the Video element.
72-year-old grandmother graduates from GMU
Irma Garcia of Woodbridge is graduating from George Mason University with a bachelor's degree decades after first putting her education on hold to raise her family.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. - As thousands of students across the DMV celebrate graduation weekend, one George Mason University graduate is drawing special attention for her remarkable path to the stage.
At 72 years old, Irma Garcia of Woodbridge is graduating from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree — decades after first putting her education on hold to raise her family.
"I have worked for this for a long time, and I’ve waited for a long time, so I am super happy," Garcia said.
Garcia was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Virginia in 1978 as a 25-year-old single mother with three daughters under the age of 4.
"It was not easy, of course, but because I love them so much, I just continued," she said.
SUGGESTED: Graduation on Wheels gives new bikes to 300 DCPS students
To support her family, Garcia worked multiple jobs — sometimes two at once. During the day, she worked in a community college office, and at night she worked at Wendy’s preparing salad bars.
The sacrifices paid off. Garcia’s daughters went on to build successful careers and build beautiful families.
"They have a great life, they’re great mothers, and great daughters," Garcia said. "It has been the best reward for my sacrifice."
About five years ago, Garcia decided it was finally time to pursue a goal she had set aside for decades: finishing college.
"I said, well I have some time now, maybe I can go and see if I can finish," she recalled.
This weekend, she will do just that.
Garcia will walk across the graduation stage alongside classmates decades younger than her — an experience she says brought unexpected joy and connection.
"I felt like a grandmother all the time," Garcia said with a laugh. "I love them. I really love them. And I learned a lot of things from them."
SUGGESTED: Canvas outage impacts thousands of schools, universities: Hacker group reportedly takes credit
Her family will be cheering her on from the audience, including many of her eight grandchildren. Five of them have already graduated from college themselves and helped Garcia navigate the technological challenges of returning to school.
Despite the milestone, Garcia remains humble about her accomplishment.
"I guess I should be proud of myself, but it means more to me that my family is very proud of me," she said.
Now, Garcia hopes her story encourages others to pursue their goals — no matter how long it takes.
"If you have a dream, you might not be able to do it right away," she said. "But you should work little bits and bits until you get it done. It can be done."