Doreetha Daniels
On June 5th, 2015 Doreetha graduated from College of the Canyons, a California community college, with an Associate of Arts degree.
It had been more than 80 years, in 1934, since this beautiful black lady graduated from high school and the world today is a far different place.
In 1934, there were no computers, no television.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president, Babe Ruth was still playing baseball, segregation and inequality for women were common practice and the Great Depression gripped the world.
What motivated Doreetha to enroll in college all these years later?
It was a logical extension of the life she had been living.
Doreetha had worked for McDonnell Douglas, and she and her husband of 50 years, Robert had raised a family.
Their family included son Robert Jr. now 76, a retired engineer with whom Doreetha lives, and their son Raymond, now 72, a retired attorney.
When Robert Sr. passed away in 1988, the children were grown and had families of their own and Doreetha, then 72, had extensive activities of her own.
She traveled the world, from the Middle East to Europe to Africa.
And Doreetha was a leader in the community of Agua Dulce, a town of about 3500 people, 40 miles north of Los Angeles where she was president of the women's club, and a volunteer at the local hospital.
Doreetha was also an accomplished maker of jewelry, stained glass and ceramics, when at the age of 90; she decided she was ready for a new challenge.
Her son Robert told Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times what motivated Doreetha to enroll in college:
"We encouraged her, and she's the type of person able to do whatever she puts her mind to."
"It took about eight years because she took two courses at a time," her son Raymond added.
There were also "a few bumps in the road," as Doreetha termed them. She had a minor stroke, which left some paralysis in her right hand.
And at age 97, she stopped driving, which meant others needed to drive her to school.
Now that Doreetha has her Associate of Arts degree, what's next? If her health allows, it will be another grand challenge.