At 79, Randall Wilt has seen his share of living. He grew up in rural Maryland, fixing tractors by the early age of 10. He walked a mile to school every day. As he grew older, he learned to build a boat, repair just about any car and even get his pilot’s license, although being blind in one eye. He’s seen a lot of living but he never got his highschool diploma…until recently.

Wilt received his General Educational Development (GED) last month after 10 attempts and almost five years of meeting with tutors weekly. During that time, he also experienced his second heart attack (his first in 1999.) Regardless, he persevered and this semester, he’ll sit in a college classroom for the first time, with students a quarter of his age.

When he heard the news, “His face got all red, and he started to cry,” said Wilt’s wife, Roberta.