ATLANTA — A 72-year-old Lawrenceville man has added another achievement to his resume - a college graduate.
Sam Kaplan graduated with a Film and Media Studies degree from Georgia Gwinnett College Thursday.
After graduating from high school in 1969, Kaplan never considered attending college. He worked various jobs throughout his life before returning to school at age 68.
"I was riding down 316 and heard on the radio that Georgia Gwinnett College was offering a degree that involved script writing," Kaplan said. Five minutes later, I was registering for the fall semester. So it's kind of interesting. It's a lot of fun."
The 72-year-old has always had a passion for storytelling and has written a couple of books yet to be published. After realizing he wanted to do more with his work, the writer decided to attend school.
"I thought I would like to turn some of them into screenplays," Kaplan said.
The journey back to school was challenging; for Kaplan, it'd been over 50 years since he stepped foot in a classroom.
"I was a little nervous about fitting in with the other students since I am old enough to be some of their grandparents but I've always had a good relationship with kids," Kaplan pointed out.
As he took a final walk across the stage to receive his diploma and turn his tassel, Kaplan's biggest fan, his 99-year-old mother, was in attendance marking a significant achievement in his academic journey.
"This is a big accomplishment for me, something I never thought I would do," Kaplan said. "I'm proud that I stuck with it and made good grades."
72-year-old Lawrenceville man graduates from Georgia Gwinnett College
