She Finished School at 61 | Dayton News

Dayton News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 21, 2026 · 1m

At 15, Montreace Fields thought her high school dreams were over—until she earned a diploma from a non-accredited school. After 10 years as a nursing assistant, she realized the diploma wasn’t valid and returned to school with grit, determined to get it right. Twenty-five years later, at 40, she walked across the stage at St. Petersburg High School to officially graduate—joining over 100 other adults in Pinellas County who earned their diplomas through GEDs or adult education. Now, she’s already planning her next step: heading back to college in September to earn her bachelor’s and become a…