The saying "Better late than never" has never been quite so apt.

Margaret Thome Bekema, 97, was forced to drop out of Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School in 1932 to help her mother when she was diagnosed with cancer. Bekema was never able to return to school, as she became the head of the household when her mother passed, and took on the task of raising her siblings.

On Oct. 29, however, the administration at Catholic Central High School made up for lost time by presenting Bekema with an honorary high school diploma.

Bekema was so touched that she promptly burst into tears upon finally receiving her mortarboard and diploma.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart," she told the administration, according to MLive.

Bekema describes how it felt to leave behind her high school career, as well as her teenage life.

"I had to quit school to take over the family," she said. "It was hard, you have no idea how hard that was. I loved high school and I had lots of friends."

Though she didn't finish high school, Bekema nevertheless remained close to the educational world, eventually becoming a preschool teacher.

When the school's administration heard about Bekema's story from one of her relatives, administrators knew they had to give her the long overdue certificate of graduation.

"Her life has been one of sacrifice and service," Principal Greg Deja told MLive. "It has been so encouraging and inspiring for our community because her choices represent all the core values that we teach our students."

Although Bekema is certainly a badass in her own right — it's still nice to give credit where credit is due.