81-year-old to graduate college this weekend

SUFFERN, New York (WABC) -- It is commencement season, and most of the graduates are young, 20-somethings.

A Rockland County woman who returned to college decades later to get her degree will graduate this weekend at the age of 81.

Eyewitness News Reporter Michelle Charlesworth posted these pictures on Facebook after talking to her.

"I didn't really want to make a big deal out of it," said Trudy Murdock, a graduate. "You're never too old to learn something."

She's 81 years young and graduating Sunday from Rockland Community College, 40 years after she started to study nursing in her late 30's.

"I was working full time and had three kids still at home and my mom had moved in with me because she wasn't doing that well and so I had to stop classes," Murdock said.

"Do you have student loans?" Eyewitness News asked.

"No! Ha! I went class to class and paid cash for it," Murdock said.

"Are you wearing a fit bit?" Eyewitness News asked.

"Yes!" Murdock said.

"Do you ever get to 10,000 steps?" Eyewitness News asked.

"Ha! No, but my goal is 6,000 and I hit that sometimes," Murdock said.

She tells a great story about when she started there at 77 and all her classmates had their backpacks and cell phones and were bent over texting. "When in Rome" she says, so she did the same!

"So I took mine out and texted my granddaughter. I don't do a lot of texting. And said I have to text you because I'm the only one here that isn't texting," Murdock said.

The college president is convinced that other students really benefited from her being there.

"I think they do value opinions that are different and I think they're curious and I think they're interested," said Cliff L. Wood, EdD, RCC President.

Meantime, Trudy has been happily married for 61 years to John and suggests we all stay interested.

"Hold on to your sense of wonder. I'm interested in things; I don't go someplace and not pay attention to what's around me. I see everything," Murdock said. "Look at things through a younger person's eyes and continue to do that."