Earning your high school diploma is a major milestone in most people's life but for Merrill Pittman Cooper, that opportunity was never afforded to him.
Cooper attended Storer College in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, from 1934 to 1938, but had to drop out during his senior year when his family relocated to Philadelphia for financial reasons. He was never able to finish high school.
In 2018, Cooper reached out to his family about his regret on not earning his high school diploma, and his family immediately reached out to Storer College to see if they could make his dreams a reality.
The school jumped at the chance, and on March 19, an ceremony was held in conjunction with Jefferson County Schools, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the Storer College National Alumni Association, and the West Virginia Department of Education, to present Cooper his diploma!
Jefferson County Schools said in a statement to CNN, "Jefferson County Schools is committed to helping every student, young or old, fulfill their dreams. For Mr. Cooper, that meant receiving a high school diploma. We are honored to help make that dream a reality."
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