If a 78-year-old earning her bachelor’s degree from Samford University made for an uplifting story, imagine the jubilation now that Vivian Cunningham added a master’s at age 82.
Such was the scene Saturday evening when Cunningham, a three-time great-grandmother and self-labeled go-getter, received her master of studies in law from Samford’s Cumberland School of Law.
“I felt like I was just as young as the other students,” she joked.
Inspiring others
Samford President Beck A. Taylor heralded Cunningham for embodying the “emphasis on lifelong learning perhaps like no other person in the Samford family.”
Upon completing her liberal studies undergraduate degree in 2021, Cunningham’s story fueled appearances on national news shows. This sparked an outpouring of cards and messages from people inspired by a then-septuagenarian finishing college after decades working as a seamstress, custodian and mail-room manager.
“I’m so glad I made an impact on somebody’s life,” she said. “This must have been my destiny to inspire people.”
Along with establishing the Vivian Cunningham Leadership Scholarship four years ago, Samford offered to cover tuition and fees if she pursued a master’s degree. Having some experience as a paralegal, Cunningham chose to attend law school for her graduate studies. “I just wanted to keep learning. I’m not one who wants to just stay at home,” she said. “Samford has been good to me.”
Her son, Donald Cunningham, and daughter, Tarra Barnes, were among the large family contingent attending Saturday’s law school graduation. Also on hand was the woman credited with instilling Cunningham’s work ethic, her 100-year-old mother. “I feel a lot of pride,” Cunningham said.
‘Get back up’
Cunningham characterized the buzz around her 2021 graduation as something “from a movie.” This weekend, she delivered the sequel.
“God has gotten me through this journey,” Cunningham said. “I prayed a lot of nights: ‘Lord, let me please write this paper.’ For something like this, you really must have faith for all these years. Whenever I thought I might quit because it got a little hard, God would say, ‘You better get back up and go do what you’ve got to do.’”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by G. Allan Taylor and originally published by Samford University.
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