79-year-old faculty graduate was impressed by a campus tragedy : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3391x2260+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F34%2Fff%2Fb2efcbab47d7b93ced7a655912d5%2F060a0148.JPG" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3391x2260+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F34%2Fff%2Fb2efcbab47d7b93ced7a655912d5%2F060a0148.JPG" class="img" alt="Linwood Riddick, who turns 80 on Monday, is seen accepting his bachelor's degree at South Carolina State University on Friday." fetchpriority="high"/> Linwood Riddick, who turns 80 on Monday, accepts his bachelor's diploma at South Carolina State College on Friday Might ninth. Sam Watson/South Carolina State College disguise caption

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Sam Watson/South Carolina State College Linwood Riddick went to Vietnam to serve within the army, at an age when many individuals select to go to school. As an alternative, he pursued his faculty diploma when many are busy having fun with retirement.

On Friday, Riddick graduated from South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, S.C., two days earlier than his eightieth birthday, the varsity mentioned in a information launch. He got here out of retirement to get his faculty schooling.

After his army service, the Vietnam Struggle veteran opened his personal enterprise promoting souvenirs for 3 a long time, and retired at age 72. However quickly after, he overheard a dialog whereas passing by way of SC State that impressed him to enroll on the faculty.

"I heard some males discuss concerning the Orangeburg Bloodbath," he informed Sam Watson, SC State's director of college relations, who wrote a submit about Riddick's achievement. The Orangeburg Bloodbath is a 1968 occasion when police shot right into a crowd of SC State college students who have been protesting segregation, injuring greater than two dozen of them and killing three. All 9 officers concerned have been acquitted, in response to The Civil Rights Path web site.

Riddick mentioned it was solely after studying about that historical past that he determined, "I will have to return right here, put my identify on this institutional wall due to the sacrifice of those three males."

At Friday's graduation, Riddick was honored even earlier than crossing the stage. SC State President Alexander Conyers briefly paused the ceremony to acknowledge him within the again row of the varsity's live performance choir, with which he is carried out for years.

"Mr. Riddick, you encourage us all," Conyers mentioned, additionally noting that the 79-year-old drove an hour daily from his house in Summerville, S.C., to Orangeburg to attend courses.

Later, the gang gave Riddick a rousing ovation as he accepted his diploma. He earned a bachelor's diploma in music trade.

Riddick mentioned faculty helped him keep sharp. "Your thoughts, your physique, your soul and spirit — they have to be utilized," he informed Watson. Now, he mentioned, he hopes to be an inspiration for others, and a mentor for youthful college students.