A 70-year-old man celebrates his accomplishment after receiving an honors PhD from Howard University.
A 70-year-old man called Joseph M. Grant has finally fulfilled his lifetime ambition of graduating from Howard University in Washington, DC, with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science.
Throughout his life, Joseph M. Grant has been researching Black politics and American government. He once again demonstrates to the world that academic success knows no age boundaries. “I’ve wanted to visit Howard my entire life,” Grant remarked.
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Because Of Them We Can report Grant, who has worked in government and politics, wanted to understand more about how Black culture and people interacted with the political system. At age 65, he began his doctoral studies.
Howard University congratulated him on his accomplishment and gave him a mention on its official Facebook page. Ravi Perry, the chair of the Department of Political Science, told Howard Newsroom that he respected Grant’s ambition to return to school and continue learning.
“Grant is an inspiration to all of us to never give up on our dreams because of his perseverance, research skills, and the ease with which he matriculated through our demanding graduate programs,” Perry said. “The teaching profession is enhanced by learning from the lifelong experiences of students like Dr. Grant.”
After four years of teaching at a community college in South Carolina, Grant said he was motivated by the desire to make a difference in his community.
“What [my students] had in common was their ignorance of the government’s procedures and their fear of it. Thus, by helping them comprehend government, I was able to establish a connection with many of my pupils and assist them in resolving problems with it. That was satisfying! “Grant said.”
A medical shock that Grant experienced during his PhD program forced him to postpone it for two years. He got slower in understanding the subject and had to relearn how to do several jobs.
“My operation changed my study plan and put my program completion in grave danger. I nearly passed away. It required a great deal of work, encouragement, tolerance, and understanding from the Howard University Graduate School and the Department of Political Science,” Grant stated.
Now, Grant wants to be an inspiration to others. Additionally, he hopes that his granddaughter will enroll at Howard University.
As he grew older, he declared, “I was determined that my children would attend an HBCU when they were in college.” “I want him to know that his grandfather did it and that, despite many obstacles, I finished my program at the age of 70.”
