86-year-old veteran graduating from Emory's business school

86-year-old veteran graduating from Emory

Hurl Taylor will graduate next week from Emory University with his fourth degree from the school and his ninth overall.

ATLANTA - When students at Emory University walk across the stage during graduation on Monday, an 86-year-old Army veteran will be marking a major milestone.

Hurl Taylor will graduate next week with his fourth degree from the school and his ninth overall.

What we know:

Taylor's latest degree is a Master's in Business for Veterans.

The lifelong learner told the university that he decided to get the degree after attending a veteran's event at the school in 2023 and learning about the new program.

What they're saying:

Taylor told FOX 5 that he grew up in a poor community in Richmond, Virginia. Despite their situation, his family had a small library at home, and fostered his passion for learning.

"Education is very important because what it does, it's a key to other things. It's a key to success. Unless you have something like that, you're gonna fail," he said.

Hurl Taylor is graduating from Emory next week. (Courtesy of Hurl Taylor)

He said as long as there's a degree out there and a way for him to afford the program, he's going to do it.

Dig deeper:

On Monday, Taylor will walk with his fellow graduates from Emory's Goizueta Business School.

Outside of the classroom, he works as a semi-retired lawyer, taking on pro bono cases as a way of giving back to the community.