Thatâs what Jameson Health System CEO Thomas White told Penn State Universityâs Shenango Campus graduates for the fall semester of 2003 Friday night.

Howard G. Hobaugh may be the graduate that embodies that phrase more so than anyone else.

At the age of 80 he earned his Associate Degree in Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Hobaugh said he was overwhelmed and elated to finally have a college degree. ãIt was an experience. It was well worth it,ä he said.

ãItâs great,ä Hobaughâs wife, Hilda, said of her husbandâs achievement. ãI though he was going to have a heart attack he was so excited.ä

Mrs. Hobaugh joked that now sheâll be able to clean off her table which has been covered with books and notes.

ãItâs been a lot of hard work,ä he said. With his associates degree Hobaugh could go on to study elementary education, law or religion but heâs probably finished going to school.

Getting into a study habit was difficult at first, Hobaugh said. He said he taped many lectures because of hearing difficulties and would listen to them at home and type the notes.

Hobaugh is the fifth member of his family to graduate from Penn State. ãWe go to the football games,ä Mrs. Hobaugh said.

Hobaugh said several years ago he began sitting in on classes with his son Doug Hobaugh, Greenville, and soon was encouraged to take classes for himself.

Hobaughâs daughter, Linda Nester of Monongahela, said her father served in the United States Air Force in World War II at the age of 17, and when he left the service he had to stay home to help his widowed mother. He worked for PPG in Pittsburgh for many years. Hobaugh never had a chance to finish high school but later earned his General Educational Development degree, Mrs. Nester said. Under a program for veterans, Hobaugh was able to graduate from Hickory High School in 2002 with his granddaughter.