After a career that spanned 78 years, a teacher taught her final lesson at the age of 95, stating that "it's been a great life".
Teaching is one of the most important careers that somebody can embark on, as shaping the lives and minds of future generations is a noble task.
Over the span of 78 years, teaching will have changed a fair bit as many different generations have passed through the classroom, and the curriculum will have been altered.
Grace Adkins, 95, will have seen it all over the course of her career in the education sector as she has devoted almost eight decades to teaching the next generations.
But on her 95th birthday, the longstanding teacher has decided that it's time to call it a day as she looks back on her remarkable career, as per Fox News.
"Well, it’s been a great life with people that are learning," Grace said. "My motto is every child is a winner. And they don’t mind getting help."
The now former-teacher was born in 1928, and she idolized her mother who was also a teacher, so she followed in her footsteps and got into teaching in 1946.
A statement from Westwood Schools in Georgia highlighted the 95-year-old's impressive life and career.
"For 78 years, Mrs. Grace Adkins has been teaching and working with students and teachers, from Elmodel School in 1946, to Deerfield-Windsor Academy, and finally to Westwood Schools in 1976," it read.
"It is impossible to know the number of lives she has impacted with her relentless determination to find the best in every student, firmly believing that 'Every Child is a Winner.' We are grateful for her lifelong focus on students, as she has created early intervention strategies to help each student reach his/her potential."
She celebrated her retirement and 95th birthday on Thursday by attending the auditorium at the school where she was presented with kind words from colleagues and pupils both past and present.
People flooded the comment section with their own experiences with Grace, as one person wrote: "Mrs. Adkins truly is the Angel of Education to Westwood Schools.
"She often was [an] unsung hero who brought so much possibility to so many children who never realized the doors of opportunity she kept opening for them with her knowledge, skills, and connections with other educational professionals. Yes, thank you, Mrs. Adkins, for being you."
A second person added: "She’s one of the greatest women I have ever known. Educating and helping children was her life dream. I [am] so glad I’ve got to know her through the years. She is amazing! And a great friend to my mama."
A third said: "You cannot measure the love and devotion this lovely lady has given to learning and communicating the self-worth of children who learn differently. She will be sorely missed at Westwood School."
We hope Grace enjoys a well-earned retirement after 78 years of truly remarkable work.
