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University gives resident cat an honorary doctorate

<p>A university in the US has handed out an honorary doctorate to a surprising recipient: the resident campus cat. </p> <p>For four years, Max the cat has been a respected member of the Vermont State University, putting a smile on students' faces through his friendly demeanour. </p> <p>When Max's owner Ashley was contacted by the school and told their plans to give Max the special honour, she "thought they were crazy", but it brought a big smile to her face.</p> <p>"We live on the main entrance to campus and when my daughter started attending as a junior, she started seeing everyone and how they kind of doted on Max," Ashley told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/vermont-state-university-resident-cat-max-dow-given-honorary-doctorate-in-literature/57d96d7c-ecc5-460f-85ac-ceee24e119b5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Today Extra</em></a>.</p> <p>"So we started an Instagram page that we keep updated with some of the photos and then I started getting tracked down by people on campus saying, 'Oh Max has been on the Dean's desk and he's been on the desk of the head of graduate studies, and he just kind of makes himself at home.'"</p> <p>Ashely said that Max's calming presence has helped many students who are stressed about their studies, or those who are feeling homesick. </p> <p>"They were just talking about how he was so helpful during finals week because everybody was picking him up and doing selfies with him and he was making everyone calmer," she said.</p> <p>"There's a real sense of community because I heard he was getting attacked by feral cats if he was on campus after 5pm, so I put up some posters and asked the students to give me a call or shoot me a text if they see him out after dark and they started arriving on our doorstep with him saying 'Hey, we brought Max home.'"</p> <p>Max was bestowed the honorary degree of "doctor of litter-ature", although will not be attending the next graduation ceremony. </p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.333; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>Image credits: Today Extra / Vermont State University </em></p>

Family & Pets

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Disturbing new details emerge in death of head teacher, husband and daughter

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find confronting. </strong></em></p> <p>A headmistress at a private school in the UK made a distress call to a family member just hours before she was found dead, a report has claimed. </p> <p>School principal Emma Pattison, the head teacher of private school Epsom College in Surrey, England, was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/headmistress-husband-and-daughter-found-dead-on-school-grounds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found dead</a> alongside her 39-year-old husband, George, and seven-year-old daughter Lettie on the school grounds earlier this week. </p> <p>As an investigation into their deaths has commenced, the BBC has reported that Emma made a frantic phone call to a relative with concerns about her partner. </p> <p>By the time the worried relative arrived at the house, which is surrounded by other properties occupied by college staff and is close to the prestigious school’s rifle range, all three were dead.</p> <p>Police have yet to disclose the official cause of their deaths, but are confident no one else was involved in the "isolated" incident. </p> <p>Detectives confirmed a firearm registered to George, of which he had a license for, was found at the scene and they are treating the tragedy as a double murder and suicide.</p> <p>Detectives suspect George killed his wife Emma, 45, and little Lettie before taking his own life.</p> <p>Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, senior investigating officer on the case, said, “This is an incredibly traumatic incident and we are working around the clock to investigate and understand the exact circumstances which led to this point."</p> <p>“We understand the public concern and upset, and we will clarify what we can, when we can, while respecting the right to a level of privacy for the families of those who have lost their lives."</p> <p>The community is reeling from the tragedy, as devastated neighbours who knew the "lovely" family shared how "heartbroken" they are. </p> <p>One person said, “It is just shocking and unimaginable.”</p> <p>Chloe Rathbone, a nursery worker who looked after Lettie, told The Times, “I am utterly so heartbroken over this awful news."</p> <p>“They were such a lovely family and Lettie was perfect in every way, everything you could have wished for in a little girl.”</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help.</em></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au</em></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au</em></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / </em><em style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">epsomcollege.org.uk</em></p>

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Headmistress, husband and daughter found dead on school grounds

<p>School principal Emma Pattison, the head teacher of private school Epsom College in Surrey, UK, has been found dead alongside her 39-year-old husband, George, and seven-year-old daughter Lettie on the school grounds.</p> <p>At just 45 years of age, Mrs Pattison was a very recent addition to the school, having joined the award-winning school in September 2022. </p> <p>While an investigation is underway, Surrey police have released a statement saying that they believe this to be an isolated incident with no third-party involvement. </p> <p>Epsom College has also released a statement following the discovery. </p> <p>“It is with the deepest sadness and regret that we have to announce the news of the deaths of Emma Pattison, Head of Epsom College, her daughter Lettie, and her husband George,” the statement reads. </p> <p>“Our thoughts, condolences and sympathies are with their families at this tragic time. The College is working with the Police in what remains an ongoing investigation. </p> <p>“We must now focus on the welfare and wellbeing of our pupils and staff, and work to ensure that they receive all the comfort, warmth and support required from the Epsom College community. </p> <p>“We ask that the public and the media respect the privacy of Emma’s family, and help us to prioritise the needs of our pupils. </p> <p>The news is heartbreaking and we need time and space to come together and process this loss. No further statement will be issued at this time.”</p> <p>Dr Alastair Wells, chair of the board of governors at Epsom College, said, “On behalf of everyone at Epsom College, I want to convey our utter shock and disbelief at this tragic news.</p> <p>“Our immediate thoughts and condolences are with Emma’s family, friends and loved ones, and to the many pupils and colleagues whose lives she enriched throughout her distinguished career.</p> <p>“Emma was a wonderful teacher, but most of all she was a delightful person. In time we will commemorate Emma and her family, in the appropriate way, and in line with the wishes of her family.</p> <p>“But for now, we ask that we are all given the time, space and respect we need to come to terms with this tragic loss."</p> <p>Pattison’s husband, George, was a chartered accountant who was director of a management consultancy firm called Tanglewood 2016, according to Companies House.</p> <p>Surrey Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey also said: “I want to give my assurance that we will conduct a thorough investigation into what took place last night and hope to be able to bring some peace in these traumatic circumstances.”</p> <p>Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell’s borough commander, also said: “We’re aware that this tragic incident will have caused concern and upset in the local community.</p> <p>“While this is believed to be an isolated incident, in the coming days, our local officers will remain in the area to offer reassurance to students, parents, teachers, and the local community. I would like to thank the school and the community for their understanding and patience while the investigation continues.”</p> <p><em><strong>Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: epsomcollege.org.uk</em></p>

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"This is crazy": Ben Fordham blasts gender-neutral terms at all-boys school

<p>Ben Fordham has called out an all-boys private school that have encouraged teachers and students to use gender-inclusive terms. </p> <p>The principal of St Bede's College in Melbourne said in a letter to staff this week that the school was looking to change the language it uses following updated Victoria Child Safe Standards. </p> <p>The letter discouraged school staff from using terms such as "boy" and "young man" in an attempt to be more inclusive to non-binary students. </p> <p>"Can I ask that we start to use gender neutral language in our communications where possible?" the letter read, reports <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/victoria-education/st-bedes-push-for-more-inclusive-language/news-story/a1709b55ccdf81b2fdde3111a2942b08" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">The Herald Sun</a>.</p> <p>"I know it can be challenging when communicating with the parents of senior students and calling them 'children', so if anyone has a better gender neutral term than this, please let me know."</p> <p>"The use of the term 'student' rather than 'young man' or 'boy' can easily be made. I'm yet to find an alternative for 'Beda Boy' (graduated students), and given the history of this term, we would need to think carefully on any changes here."</p> <p>After the letter was made public, 2GB's Ben Fordham blasted the school policy saying it was political correctness gone too far. </p> <p>"This is crazy. Cancel culture has hit this all boys school in Melbourne," he said.</p> <p>The college confirmed "staff were asked to use gender neutral language where possible" to comply with new standards to ensure all students were included. </p> <p>"There are, and will continue to be, boys, young men and 'Beda Boys' within our College community," a statement from the school read.</p> <p>"At the forefront of our minds is, and will remain, the inclusion of all students at St Bede's College."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / St Bede's College</em></p>

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Gun pulled during fight outside New Zealand school

<p dir="ltr">A brawl between students at a high school turned vicious when one of them pulled a gun and pointed it at another girl’s head. </p> <p dir="ltr">Horrific footage shows the teenagers punching and yanking each other’s hair in front of shocked students at Otahuhu College in Auckland on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Suddenly, a student dressed in all black is marching toward another waving the gun around yelling: “You touch my sister again, touch her, touch her.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She approaches the other girl and holds the gun to her head telling her to go away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get the f*** out of here right now,” she yells. </p> <p dir="ltr">Principal Neil Watson confirmed that police were investigating the incident but it is still unclear whether or not the gun was real. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We have a member of the public with what looks like a firearm. We’re helping the police with their inquiries, and our priority is the safety and security of our families and students,” he told <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gun-drawn-during-fight-between-auckland-high-school-students/UNNRMV2JWDWQSXID6MVTVRROHQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The publication was sent the video by a worried police, as police confirm they have begun their enquiries. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a report of a group of people fighting. Inquiries are underway to speak to those involved to establish the circumstances.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the incident <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gun-drawn-during-fight-between-auckland-high-school-students/UNNRMV2JWDWQSXID6MVTVRROHQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NZ Herald</em></p>

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Tributes flow for siblings named in suspected murder-suicide

<p dir="ltr">Tributes are flowing for two young siblings who died in a suspected double murder-suicide by their mother in Perth. </p> <p dir="ltr">​​Abiyah, 10, and Aiden Selvan, eight, were found dead in the back seat of a car at John Graham Reserve in Coogee, west of the city, on Monday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their heartbroken father had left for the US on Sunday and arrived back home in Perth on Wednesday after hearing the devastating news. </p> <p dir="ltr">Principal Bill Innes of Providence Christian College and students at the children’s school remembered the siblings with messages and flowers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You can never prepare for something like this,” Principal Innes told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/wa/heartbreaking-tributes-flow-for-young-victims-abiyah-and-aiden-selvan-killed-in-suspected-coogee-murder-suicide-c-6081634" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re still numb, it’s still sinking in. To see those faces, it’s not easy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A bulletin board was offered to the students to write their messages to Abiyah and Aiden. </p> <p dir="ltr">Abiyah was described as being the “brightest light of the world” from one of her fellow classmates.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Remember I always love you. It pains me to know I will never see you smile, touch you, laugh with you, and even wave to you,” another of her friends wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your secrets! Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone in honour of you. I will never forget you. See you in heaven,” another student wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">A message dedicated to Aiden simply read, “I will miss you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Tsaparah Tabernacle, the church the family attended was in a “state of shock” when news spread of the suspected double murder-suicide.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t have an understanding of what’s going on, we are puzzled and completely shocked at this stage,” a church spokesman told <a href="https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/coogee-car-fire-neighbours-reveal-details-of-mum-children-killed-in-suspected-murder-suicide--c-6065373" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The West Australian</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The homicide investigation continues.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

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Terminally ill man graduates college alongside his granddaughter

<p>A grandfather-granddaughter duo from Texas have shared a heart-warming milestone together. </p> <p>Melanie Salazar, 23, and her grandfather Rene Neira, 88, have both graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) alongside each other. </p> <p>Rene first began his higher education in the 1950s, but when he fell in love and started a family, he was unable to finish his studies in the traditional four-year span. </p> <p>Throughout the years, Rene took part in online classes, but decided to re-enroll in college in 2016: the same year his granddaughter began her freshman year at the same school. </p> <p><span>"It just so happened that he wanted to go back to school again at the same time that I was starting." Melanie Salazar told <a rel="noopener" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/04/us/grandfather-granddaughter-graduate-college-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>. </span></p> <p><span>"It wasn't intentionally planned, but it just worked out that way that we were in school at the same time."</span></p> <p><span>"I didn't know that we would actually get to share that moment together," Melanie said.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXW-XSZrxf9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXW-XSZrxf9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Melanie Salazar ♡ (@melaniesalazara)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Melanie said she didn't share any classes with her grandfather due to their differing majors, but the pair would often meet up for lunches, study in the library or even carpool to campus together. </span></p> <p><span>Just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Rene suffered from a stroke and had to take medical leave from class. </span></p> <p><span>Unable to navigate the world of full-time online classes, Rene was only a few classes shy of completing his degree and his family rallied around him to get him the degree he has always wanted. </span></p> <p><span>"We, as his family, were able to advocate for him and request to see if there was any way that he could be recognised or honoured for all the work that he had done." Melanie told CNN.</span></p> <p><span>It wasn't until the week of graduation they found out he would be honoured.</span></p> <p><span>"It was definitely an early Christmas miracle that they were willing to recognize him." Salazar said.</span></p> <p><span>"When we walked past the curtains onto the stage, I was overcome with emotion and started to tear up because I didn't know that we would actually get to share that moment together." </span></p> <p><span>Salazar said, "I told him afterwards, 'You did it, grandpa! College is over!'"</span></p> <p><span>Melanie received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications, while Rene got a degree of recognition in economics. </span></p> <p><span>"It's never too late to go back to school." Salazar shares. "Whatever your circumstance, there's people that are ready and willing to help you follow your dreams."</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter @UTSA</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Student’s 65-million-year-old extremely rare find

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A college student with a slight obsession with dinosaurs has made the dig of a lifetime. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison Duran, a biology student from Dakota was on a palaeontology dig in southwestern North Dakota in the United States, when he unearthed a partial Triceratops skull.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison paired up with an expert excavator Michael Kjelland and together they underwent a two-week search at Hell Creek Formation - a site known for dinosaur fossils. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The duo were attempting to find plant fossils and on day four into their dig, were left shocked at their significant find. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I can't quite express my excitement in that moment when we uncovered the skull," Mr Duran told his </span><a href="https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2019/undergrad-discovers-triceratops-skull-paleontology-dig-north-dakota"><span style="font-weight: 400;">college website UC Merced</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">23-year-old Harrison found the fossil himself - it was turned upside down with its left horn partially exposed, and surrounded by fossils. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I've been obsessed with dinosaurs since I was a kid, so it was a pretty big deal," Mr Duran said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They named the dinosaur found as Alice - after the owner of the land. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Alice was meticulously stabilised with glue, plastered up and removed from a location she called home for over 65 million years,” the </span><a href="https://www.fossilexcavators.com/alice"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fossil Excavations website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> read.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The duo will now spend the next few months researching the rare fossil and preparing Alice for public showings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It's such a rare opportunity to showcase something like this, and I'd like to share it with the campus community," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alice’s location will be kept top secret to protect potential further finds. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There have been people in the past who have stolen dinosaur bones," Professor Kjelland told </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com.au"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNN.</span></a></p>

Retirement Life

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This grandma showed these college girls how to party

<p>Pensioner Doreen Grett has gone viral after doing shots with college girls while on holiday in Mexico.</p> <p>Her granddaughter, Payton Grett, tweeted a screenshot her grandma posted on Facebook showing her doing shots with a group of college girls while on vacation.</p> <p>Doreen, who lives in Colorado, wrote with the image, “doing shots with the girls.”</p> <p>After Payton’s tweet of her grandmother went viral, one of the girls with Doreen in the photo commented on the picture.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/paytongrett">@paytongrett</a> we love your grandma so much omfg <a href="https://t.co/iPWdC5oxdS">pic.twitter.com/iPWdC5oxdS</a></p> — anna maria (@annaamsberry) <a href="https://twitter.com/annaamsberry/status/840241904021200896">March 10, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Anna Amsberry replied to the video of Doreen having drinks on the beach with Anna and her friends.</p> <p>Anna also told Payton that she was glad to have met the grandma.</p>

Retirement Life

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Grandpa and granddaughter attend university together

<p>Melanie Salazar and Rene Neira aren’t your ordinary uni buddies – they’re family. 18-year-old Melanie has just begun at Palo Alto College in California, where her 82-year-old grandpa is just finishing his associate’s degree in economics.</p> <p>Neira returned to university after putting his education on hold in the 1950s when he got married and had children. Over the next sixty years, he took many classes, but it wasn’t until the death of his wife in 2009 that he was inspired to return full-time.</p> <p>“It’s been pretty awesome,” Salazar told <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliareinstein/girl-and-grandpa-going-to-college-together?utm_term=.cyA9R5yod#.wqDwlxPOD" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BuzzFeed</span></strong></a>. “I know it’s only going to be for one semester, but I’m going to cherish that while I can.”</p> <p>The pair often walk to class together and meet for lunch, with Salazar calling her grandpa her “best friend”. “It only motivates me more to not give up,” she said. “It makes me realize the importance of getting an education like my grandpa… so I can accomplish something great like him.</p> <p>“Just last June, he watched me cross my high school stage and now I’m going to get to watch him cross the college stage. He’s very proud of me, and I’m very proud of him.”</p> <p>After he finishes his degree, Neira has plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics. “I’m not trying to inspire Melanie, or anybody,” he said. “I’m glad that’s what it’s doing, but I’m just doing what I’ve always wanted to do.”</p> <p>What a beautiful story. Tell us in the comments below, did you attend university later in life? What was your experience like?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/08/aussie-expat-befriends-lonely-91-year-old/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Young Aussie expat befriends lonely 91-year-old</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/08/grandma-muscles-out-push-ups-for-a-good-cause/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Grandma muscles out push ups for a good cause</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/08/couple-eats-61-year-old-wedding-cake/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Couple celebrates 61st anniversary by eating original wedding cake</strong></em></span></a></p>

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Students help café worker take grandson to Disney World

<p>Kathryn Thompson, an employee at a coffee shop at Elon University in North Carolina, was surprised by adoring college students with a fully paid holiday to Disney World.</p> <p>After hearing that Thompson’s would love to take her grandson, who has autism, to Disney World as he loves Mickey Mouse, the students rallied to contribute to the café worker’s dream.</p> <p>"I really took to her warmth," student Taylor Zisholtz told Elon Local New. “She was very invested in where we were from, what we were doing, and when she said ‘it’s my dream,’ I thought, 'well there’s 6,000 people here with at least a dollar. We could probably make this happen.'”</p> <p>The students researched the cost for Thompson’s family of five and found the trip could be funded if just half of Elon’s student body contributed $2. An online crowdfunding campaign was launched and they soon surpassed their $6,500 goal in less than a month.</p> <p>In an emotional scene, captured by the video above, two students clad in Mickey Mouse T-shirts present Thompson the surprise gift.</p> <p>“It’s a dream come true,” she told Elon Local News. “Thank y’all and I love y’all.”</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family/2015/08/harmonious-multigenerational-living/">Top tips for harmonious multigenerational living</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family/2015/08/quotes-about-grandparents/">10 great quotes about being a grandparent</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family/2015/06/secrets-of-happy-families/">8 things happy families have in common</a></em></strong></span></p>

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