Often, high school and college students will hear that graduation is “their day.”

For Shirley Jackson, that was a bit more literal.

July 9 was declared “Shirley Jacquelyn Jackson Day” by County Executive Ken Ulman after Jackson received her third associate’s degree from Howard Community College -- at the age of 79.

When officials at the college found out that Jackson would not be able to attend the May 22 commencement ceremonies because of her arthritis, they decided to do the next best thing: bring the commencement to her.

“We have known her since she first began taking classes at our school in 2003,” said Kathleen Hetherington, the school’s president. “We heard that she couldn’t make it to the commencement and we couldn’t bear the thought of that, so we brought it to her.”

So, on Thursday, in the banquet room of the clubhouse at Snowden Overlook -- where Jackson lives -- 25 of Jackson’s friends and family sat as Hetherington and academic affairs Vice President Ronald Roberson presented Jackson with her third degree at the school's “38th-and-a-half” commencement ceremony.

And, the school did not skip any details. The ceremony was as close to real as possible, complete with commencement gowns for all involved, the school’s seals on display and the playing of “Pomp and Circumstance” as Jackson walked down the aisle.

“It was so overwhelming to have the school do this for me,” Jackson said. “I have yet to grasp the generosity of the school.”

While Jackson was celebrating her third associate’s degree -- she now has degrees in English, social sciences and general studies with a focus on business and technology -- several in attendance also took time to applaud her for also recently receiving a bachelor’s degree online from Indiana University-Purdue University in general studies with a focus in political science.

Hetherington said she was most impressed that Jackson had studied for the bachelor’s at the same time she was working on her most recent associate’s degree.

“Do you know anyone in their 20s or 30s who can say they’ve done that?” she asked. “She’s like so many others at Howard Community College who are simply trying to better themselves constantly.”

Jackson’s son, Jack Jackson, who lives in Florida, said that such tenacity for education is standard when it comes to his mother.

“From our point of view, it’s not unusual,” he said. “If she’s not studying, she’s doing crafts. If it’s not crafts, she’s doing community service. She’s just always doing something, and it’s always to better herself or the community.”

Shirley Jackson said she returned to college in 2003 in an effort to rejuvenate the academic interests of one of her grandchildren.

“A grandchild of mine was showing disinterest in school, so I decided to show him how important it is,” she said. “Everyone needs to learn.”

But once she started classes, Shirley Jackson said she decided she wanted to pursue the degree she never had.

“I became a nurse back in the dark ages when you didn’t need to go to college to become one,” she said. “You just went to nursing school.”

She entered nursing school in 1947. After three decades as a nursing consultant with an insurance company, she retired in 1995.

However, it wasn’t long before she got tired of the monotony of retirement.

“I don’t like soap operas,” she said. “I wanted to do something, so I took up classes.”

So, in 2003, she told her daughter, Debra Jackson, that she would start taking credit courses at HCC.

“I’m fully behind everything she’s done,” Debra Jackson said. “So, when she told me that, I went out and got her a new computer and printer to help her studies and taught her how to use it.”

Jack Jackson agreed.

“She was the person motivating us to get our best education despite having no formal degree herself,” he said. “So, of course, we celebrated her seeking that education as well.”

Before long, Shirley Jackson found that many of her credits could count toward other degrees, including up to 90 credits that would count toward the degree at Indiana University-Purdue University. She just had to choose a concentration for her general studies degree.

“My family has always been politically minded. I even vote in the fake polls they put up on news sites,” she said. “So, I went with political science.”

And more than 60 years after she entered nursing school, Shirley Jackson got a couple more degrees.

What's more, the ride doesn't appear over. When asked if the school would miss seeing Shirley Jackson on campus, Hetherington responded simply with a smile.

“She’s already signed up for another class this fall,” Hetherington said. “An arts course. So, it just goes on.”

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