76-Year-Old Defies Obstacles to Receive Diploma

Erma Battle

Life hasn’t always been easy for Erma Battle, but her determination has never wavered. The vibrant 76-year-old recently visited the Campus Store at Edgecombe Community College to select the perfect frame for her diploma. After completing the High School Equivalency program, she is eagerly preparing to walk across the stage at ECC’s commencement in May — a milestone that has been decades in the making.

Battle recalls growing up with her grandmother and attending a small school during the height of segregation.

“Back in my day, they had a one-room class,” Battle said. “There was no mixing (of the races), and I helped by working in the kitchen.”

By 1965, the Whitakers native was pregnant and had to leave school. With a tenth-grade education, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for Trailways and later held jobs as a machine operator, cook and door greeter. After losing her oldest child at age 41, suffering an injury, and going on disability, Battle knew she wanted her next chapter to be about fulfillment.

“I promised my mother that if I lived to see it, I was going to finish my GED,” she said.

That promise eventually led her to ECC. After years of obstacles and a struggle with confidence, Battle says the instructors and fellow students became her support system.

“My hair might be gray, but one thing about it is, you will not stop me,” she said. “Mr. Sykes and Mrs. Sessoms gave me so much respect — not only them but the students.”

Known affectionately as “Grandma,” Battle studied diligently and met all requirements to complete the program. She now joins a family of women who have prioritized education, including a daughter, granddaughter, and niece who are nurses. Nursing was also her mother’s profession.

“I tell my daughter I am proud, and I talk to my mom, even though she is dead and gone. I told her, ‘Ma, I got it.’”

What’s next for the 76-year-old? She hopes to help others, possibly by training as a nurse’s aide.

“It’s so much you can do to help elderly people,” she said. “They need help, and they may not have the right help.”

Now a Battleboro resident, Battle is still taking classes at ECC and is currently learning about computers.

Look for Erma Battle during ECC’s graduation on May 8.

“I’m proud of Edgecombe,” she said. “I am proud of my experience.”

The High School Equivalency program at ECC assists adult learners in earning the equivalent of a high school diploma. The program is offered at no charge. For more information or to apply, call 252-618-6707 for the Rocky Mount campus or 252-618-6680 for the Tarboro campus.