Vivian Cunningham, who is a 78-year old great-grandmother of three, has earned her undergraduate degree in liberal studies at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. “If I could have done cartwheels across the stage, I would have,” she told Today.
Cunningham, who is a single mother of 2, grandmother of 3, and great-grandmother of 3, spent 6 years before earning her degree. Prior to that, she worked at the Alabama Power Company for 19 years as a custodian and eventually as the head of the mailroom.
When she retired in 1992, she took the opportunity offered by the company through its tuition reimbursement program. She attended Virginia College where she received her associate’s degree in paralegal studies.
Instead of stopping there, Cunningham decided to continue college. She took night classes until she had to shift to virtual classes due to the pandemic, and worked hard until she finally had enough credits to graduate.
