TEMPE, Ariz — A bachelor's degree six decades in the making is now in the hands of 78-year-old Alfredo Gutierrez.
“I've accomplished something I've wanted to for a number of years, something that, you know, is in the back of my mind and nagging at me for almost 60 years," Gutierrez said.
In 1968, Gutierrez was just a few credits shy from graduating from Arizona State University when he said the administration kicked him out for leading student protests on campus.
“The assumption was I would return the following year and finish, but life gets in the way," Gutierrez said.
His life, though, was not slowed by the absence of that degree.
Gutierrez went on to serve as an Arizona State Senator and President of Maricopa College Governing Board, among many other titles.
ASU even recognized Gutierrez with an honorary doctoral degree in 1999.
“But nonetheless, there was that, was an unfulfilled obligation," Gutierrez told 12News.
Gutierrez finally returned to ASU in 2023 to find much of the course work was the same, but found the way in which students learn is far different.
“The technology was quite a challenge for me," Gutierrez said.
With a diploma in hand, Gutierrez said he embraces the journey that brought him here.
"Such an exciting place to be," Gutierrez said.
He encourages people and students of all ages to seek higher education and says it's never too late to fulfill one's dreams.
“I could get a master's when I'm 81 and another doctor when I'm 84," Gutierrez said.
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