CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It was all smiles and a few tears at Del Mar College's recent fall commencement ceremony. Among the graduates were a father and daughter duo who are proving it is never too late to continue your education.
At 60 years old, and just before retirement, Michael Whittington never thought he would be going back to school, but he wouldn't be alone. He said graduation is a moment he will always cherish, walking across the stage to receive a diploma -- but it's not exactly where he saw himself a few years ago.
"Before my retirement the plant I was working at ceased production due to foreign imports," Whittington said.
He laid off. Then a bigger opportunity presented itself. He took advantage of a Texas Workforce Commission grant to pursue a degree.
"I selected building maintenance applied science at Del Mar College," Whittington said. "I went ahead and went into the air conditioning program as well."
He wouldn't make the journey alone. He would end up sharing the stage with his own daughter, Amanda Hollan.
When he made the decision to go back to school, Amanda was already juggling life as a mother and working toward an associate's degree in business administration at Del Mar College.
"He could have been out fishing or hunting or something else," Hollan said. "He decided to continue his education. For someone who has worked quite a few years, I was very proud of him."
It was an opportunity Whittington said he couldn't pass up.
"I was old enough to be their grandparent," Whittington said. "They accepted me as one of their own."
Whittington would end up earning the nickname "old school."
The journey for both of them was not easy. The father and daughter leaned on each other for moral support.
"The quote he uses, 'Winners never quit, and quitters never win,'" Hollan said.
It was a quote that got both of them to the milestone.
"I'm more proud of her, of her accomplishments, than my accomplishments," Whittington said. "Very proud. She had a tough struggle. Mother of three. Her husband worked in the oil field, gone most of the time. She did real well."
Through the course of earning two associate's degrees, another opportunity would present itself. Whittington has accepted a position as a construction crane instructor at Del Mar College. Meanwhile, Amanda will be transferring to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to work on a bachelor's degree.
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