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Ted Sams, a 78-year-old man from San Gabriel was very close to graduating high school in 1962, but never got his diploma. According to ABC7, Sams returned to San Gabriel High School, the same school that he attended nearly 60 years ago, to finally graduate with the class of 2022. The reason as to why Sams did not graduate in 1962 is almost as shocking as the news of his graduation 60 years later.
"When I went back with my grade, they wouldn't give me my diploma because I owed $4.80 for a book and so I just walked away and said forget it," Sams shared with ABC7.
He was also suspended just five days before his senior year concluded due to missing an important final examination that he had to make up over the Summer. As a recent graduate, Sams told ABC7 that he plans to hang his diploma up on a wall at his house for all to see. He is extremely proud of this accomplishment.
To add even more excitement to the graduation day, when Sams returned to the high school to graduate with the class of 2022, they were able to locate his original diploma from 1962 in an old filing cabinet.