From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。

Many schools across the U.S. hold graduation ceremonies this time of year. In some schools, even 5 and 6-year-olds observe their graduation from kindergarten. And so can older people, much older. Meet 70-year-old Jerry Reid, he just graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He earned a bachelor's degree.

美国各地的许多学校每年这个时候都会举行毕业典礼。在一些学校，甚至五六岁的小孩也会庆祝自己从幼儿园毕业。所以更老的人也可以庆祝毕业。70岁的Jerry Reid就刚从夏洛茨维尔市的弗吉尼亚大学毕业，他获得了学士学位。

Mr. Reid might not look like the average college student, his hair is definitely grayer. But still Jerry Reid's age is easy to forget, other UVA students know him as one of their own.

里德先生也许看上去和普通大学生不同，他的头发显然更白。但是里德的年龄很容易就被人忽略，其他学生都把他当作自己人。

Mr. Reid set (1:00) into the "Hoo Crew," a group that cheers loudly for the school at sports events. He also joined a fraternity, a men's group on campus. He sang drinking songs along with many other students. Mr. Reid's school friends say they can talk to him about just about anything.

里德先生参加了Hoo Crew，这是该校体育赛事上的啦啦队。他还加入了兄弟会，这是校园里的男性组织。他和其他学生一起唱着祝酒歌。里德的同学说，他们可以和他讨论任何事情。

About a half century ago, in his 20s, Mr. Reid was not in school. Instead, he was racing cars and chasing girls. But he says his friend Bill invited him to UVA parties.

大约半个世纪以前，在他20多岁的时候，里德先生没有上学。相反他在赛车和追女孩。但他表示，他的朋友比尔邀请他参加了弗吉尼亚大学的派对。

"Bill Sturman told me what a screwup I was that there was no way I'd ever make anything out of my life unless I came up here and went to school with him,"said Reid.

里德说，“比尔说我过得一团糟，我没法改变我的生活，除非我到这来和他一起上学。”

That was in 1963, Jerry Reid says it took him 48 years to take that advice. In 2011, he entered college, his last examination before graduation involved the Civil War General for the Southern, Stonewall Jackson.

那是在1963年，里德说他花了48年才听从这个建议。2011年，他上了大学，他毕业答辩涉及的是效忠南方的内战将军石墙杰克逊(Stonewall Jackson)。

UVA Professor Luke Wright says Mr. Reid influences students. Professor Wright says he opened the minds of the young adults. The teacher says Mr. Reid showed them that life does not end at 40. Instead, the 70-year-old college graduate believes that getting older can be the beginning of a dream.

弗吉尼亚大学教授卢克·赖特(Luke Wright)说，里德先生影响了学生们。赖特教授说，里德打开了年轻人的思想。他说，里德先生告诉学生们，生命并未止于40岁。相反这位70岁的大学毕业生认为，变老是一个梦想的开始。

"Remember that path that you left waits for you. It's there. It's yours. All you gotta do is get out of your own way and get back to it. And, that's exactly what I did," said Reid.

里德说，“记得你规划好的那条路，它就在那等着你。你要做的就是离开现在的路，并回到规划好的那条路。而这正是我所做的。”

Mr. Reid says that he and his wife Susan now would take some time off to enjoy his college degree. Then, he'll return to UVA to begin studying for his graduate degree.

里德先生说，他和妻子苏珊现在要抽出点时间来庆祝他的大学学位。然后他将回到弗吉尼亚大学开始攻读研究生学位。

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

Many schools across the U.S. hold graduation ceremonies this time of year. In some schools, even 5 and 6-year-olds observe their graduation from kindergarten. And so can older people, much older. Meet 70-year-old Jerry Reid, he just graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He earned a bachelor's degree.

Mr. Reid might not look like the average college student, his hair is definitely grayer. But still Jerry Reid's age is easy to forget, other UVA students know him as one of their own.

Mr. Reid sat (1:00) into the "Hoo Crew," a group that cheers loudly for the school at sports events. He also joined a fraternity, a men's group on campus. He sang drinking songs along with many other students. Mr. Reid's school friends say they can talk to him about just about anything.

About a half century ago, in his 20s, Mr. Reid was not in school. Instead, he was racing cars and chasing girls. But he says his friend Bill invited him to UVA parties.

"Bill Sturman told me what a screwup I was that there was no way I'd ever make anything out of my life unless I came up here and went to school with him,"said Reid.

That was in 1963, Jerry Reid says it took him 48 years to take that advice. In 2011, he entered college, his last examination before graduation involved the Civil War General for the Southern, Stonewall Jackson.

UVA Professor Luke Wright says Mr. Reid influences students. Professor Wright says he opened the minds of the young adults. The teacher says Mr. Reid showed them that life does not end at 40. Instead, the 70-year-old college graduate believes that getting older can be the beginning of a dream.

"Remember that path that you left waits for you. It's there. It's yours. All you gotta do is get out of your own way and get back to it. And, that's exactly what I did," said Reid.

Mr. Reid says that he and his wife Susan now would take some time off to enjoy his college degree. Then, he'll return to UVA to begin studying for his graduate degree.

And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English. For more education stories, go to our website chinavoa.com. You can listen to our reports at our website or download them. You can follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and on our YouTube Channel, all at VOA Learning English. I'm Jerilyn Watson.