Once an illiterate and homeless drug addict, man graduates college at age 65

A former drug addict and homeless man has graduated from college at the age of 65. Thanks to the generosity of others, Freddie Sherrill managed to turn his life around. “I was institutionalized, I couldn’t function in society. The only structure that I had in my life was when I was in training school or I was in jail or I was in prison." Sherrill quit school when he was 8. "I would go to the grocery stores and start stealing food and take it home to help my mother and feed my sister and brothers.” He ended up behind bars when he was 16. “I was drinking, smoking and shooting cocaine and then I went to heroin.” He became homeless and later attempted suicide. “I pulled the trigger the gun wouldn't go off. I just kept crying and crying and crying. I threw the gun down on the ground and it said ‘pow, pow, pow.’” That was a turning point for Sherrill. He met a pastor at Myers Park Presbyterian church in Charlotte, who helped turn his life around. In time, Sherrill turned his focus to education. “I took the GED test 6 times and on the 6th time I passed it by one point.” In May of this year, one of his greatest achievements. “It took me 13 years to get an associate's degree." At the age of 65, Sherrill graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human service from Queens University of Charlotte. "Finally today I can say that I'm a productive member of society. I haven't arrived, that's just part of the journey, and the journey continues on." According to a WBTV report, Sherrill now plans to start his own non-profit to help people turn their lives around.