It's never too late to follow your dreams and succeed at your goals! Just because that's become a cliché doesn't make it any less true.

72-year-old grandmother Darlene Mullins was honored at Tennessee State University's commencement ceremony this past Saturday, 55 years after first enrolling at the institution, reports The Tenessean.

After taking the decades-long hiatus, Mullins returned to the campus four years ago to finish what she started. She not only finished, but she did it extraordinarily!

Mullins graduated with honors, earned summa cum laude and earned a spot in Phi Kappa Phi, an organization in which membership is granted only for those with GPAs higher than 3.75.

Mullins earned a B.S. degree in interdisciplinary studies, with concentrations in African studies and communications.

So, what led to the hiatus? It was love. She met her husband John Mullins during her freshman year, while heavily involved in her school's track team. However, she realized she couldn't juggle actively courting him, the demands of her school work (which began to suffer) and the demands of being a part of a college-level sports team.

"It's either the track team or John," said her coach at the time, Ed Temple. She chose the latter, marrying John Mullins after finishing her freshman year and the two started a successful business career that spanned Dallas, Detroit and Atlanta.

Despite the distance, her heart never really left TSU. The couple returned to the campus every few years to celebrate homecoming and other things, which made the eagerness to return even stronger for Mrs. Mullins. In 2013, she turned to her husband, requesting that they return to the school.

“She gave up everything for me,” John Mullins said, “so now it was my time to follow her.”

After so many years, of course, it definitely wasn't the TSU they remembered from when they met. There were many changes to get used to, from technological advances in enrollment, new practices in studying and communication and even students' unfamiliarity with cursive writing.

Often decked out in TSU gear, Mullins became a matriarchal figure for the student body. “They had to call me Ms. D, Mama, Nana, Gramma,” Mullins said, nodding her head for emphasis. “I’m old school.” In reverse, she held a similar respect for her professors despite them being younger than her; she always made a point to refer to her teachers as “Doctor” or “Professor.”

Her high-honors didn't come easy, either. During her second run at TSU, Mullins earned straight As, but her grade point average was dragged down by her less-than-stellar performance in the 1960s. Determined to finish with excellent standing, she asked administrators to drop the old classes so she could start fresh. And what a dope fresh start it was!

Congrats to Ms. D for accomplishing such a feat! She's definitely another example of the fact that there is no limit to success!

Tennesee

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