PROVO — Vivian Madsen, like many Timpview T-Birds, beamed with excitement when she graduated over the weekend.
Of course, the road to Madsen's graduation had been a little longer than most high school seniors — 71 years to be exact.
"I hope I don't wake up tomorrow and find it was all a dream," Madsen said with tears in her eyes.
Madsen, 89, received an honorary diploma from Principal George Bayles in recognition of educational pursuits and lifetime achievements.
"When you look at her life, she has been an outstanding woman," said Bayles, who read a "life report card" written by Madsen's children to recognize her many skills.
Due to the Great Depression, Madsen was forced to leave her school in Wales, Utah, as a sophomore, a decision she lamented for years. Lacking a diploma, however, did not stop Madsen from seeking knowledge and gaining wisdom. Today she speaks some Spanish and German, which she uses often for LDS temple work.
"She'd been wanting and wanting to get her diploma," Bayles said. "It's sounds to me like she's ready."
Madsen was ready, although surprised, thanks to her son, Centennial Middle School Assistant Principal Mike Bailey. Bailey worked hard to keep her graduation a secret.
"I told her I was getting some crazy award," Bailey said, adding, "She bought it hook, line and sinker."
Bailey is only one of the 12 children Madsen raised, including two girls she took in as teenagers. Nearly all of them went on to receive college degrees.
Timpview boasts exceptional young graduates, as well. Among the senior class were eight National Merit scholar semifinalists, four National Merit scholar winners, nine students graduating with 4.0 GPA's and more than $689,000 of shared scholarship money.
Valedictorian Sean Loosli will take a large chunk of that money to college with him as an Elk Scholar, one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country.
"Five years from now no one will care who the valedictorian of 2003 was," Loosli commented, "In fact, I doubt anyone will remember my GPA or ACT score."
Character and integrity were key themes of the ceremony, which seemed appropriate considering Madsen's upstanding life.
"It has nothing to do with how you choose to make a living," Bayles said, "but it has everything to do with how you choose to live."
E-mail: lsanderson@desnews.com