Joan Wiley was supposed to be the valedictorian of her graduating class in 1951. She was the editor of her high school paper, she worked in her school’s office, and she was close with her teachers, but she did one thing that kept her from getting her diploma for 65 years—she fell in love and married the man of her dreams.
While the choice would prove to be the right one, resulting in 63 years of marriage and seven children, when school officials found out about the marriage just three months before graduation, they dismissed her.
Not graduating left a void in Wiley’s heart and on July 31, thanks to the efforts of her family, she received her diploma in a surprise ceremony at her Santa Maria home. She said she was overwhelmed and never thought she’d see that diploma with her name on it.
“Miracles do happen,” she said, adding “Better late than never.”
Wiley, 83, was attending Harper High School in Chicago, when she saw a sailor in his uniform and she couldn’t resist his charms, her daughter Barbara explained. She fell in love and in March of her graduating year they married. Her son Bill explained that her transcripts read: “Reason for leaving: MARRIED.”
In April when Wiley’s sisters, who also graduated from Harper High School, came to visit from Tinley Park, Ill., it was apparent to everyone how much that diploma would mean to Wiley. So the family got to work figuring out a way to make it happen.
Wiley’s niece Meghan Csoke, who is a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools system, began emailing officials to see if it was possible. She thought that if she could make it happen for her aunt, it would be a good lesson for her students as well.
“I was just thinking that this is just such a great story to share with them, that if you don’t take these opportunities right now, you’re going to regret this so far down the line,” she said. “Accept the opportunities that are being put in front of you and don’t take them for granted.”
Efforts were kept secret from Wiley so as not to get her hopes up if it couldn’t be accomplished. Then, during Harper High School’s June 2016 commencement, Wiley’s son, Bill, and sisters Lynne Gehrke, and Gail Purcell participated in the ceremony on behalf of Wiley and accepted her diploma.
Gehrke, said it was a life-changing event for the family, “Until we were here for her birthday [in April] and she was talking about it, I just didn’t realize that 65 years later it still saddened her. It still bothered her so much. So to be able to have this occasion and to make this happen, it’s almost like a dream for us that we were able to get this done for her.”
They planned to present the diploma to her, along with a video of the commencement ceremony, under the guise of a family barbecue, and family came from near and far to celebrate.
On July 31, her family dressed her in her cap and gown and helped her to her front yard to present her diploma. Family cheered, and “Pomp and Circumstance” played in the background, as an overjoyed and very surprised Wiley held her diploma and cried. But through her tears she maintained her humor. When asked by family to give a speech as valedictorian, Wiley started, “Four score and ….” before laughter erupted from her family. The response came, “That’s when you started high school!” Wiley joked that it took her so long to graduate because she had “been a little busy.”
School Scene was compiled by Editor Shelly Cone. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Aug 4-11, 2016.