74-year-old Dacula woman earns college degree

DACULA - At age 74, Lorraine Guth is well on her way to becoming a lawyer. <br> <br> After putting off dreams of higher education for 58 years to raise six children, she earned her bachelor&#39;s degree in criminal justice Saturday from Georgia State University. She hopes to enter law school in 2004. <br> <br> ``She&#39;s an inspiration because so many folks get to a stage where they&#39;re just waiting until the end,&#39;&#39; said her son David. ``She&#39;s not waiting until the end. She&#39;s moving forward.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Guth applied to Georgia State to begin work on her bachelor&#39;s degree in the fall of 1996. Because of her age, the state paid her tuition in full. <br> <br> ``No law school would take me without a bachelor&#39;s degree,&#39;&#39; Guth said. <br> <br> Though she was a strong student in high school, Guth said she never felt smart enough to go to college. <br> <br> After her parents died when she was 2, she was afraid to leave her adopted family. The fear lingered into her early adulthood and prevented Guth from going away to college. <br> <br> Instead of college, she practiced several careers and hobbies, including flying and painting. She&#39;s also an accomplished musician. <br> <br> Throughout her life, Guth overcame adversity. Her husband died, and she supported herself by working a series of jobs, including a stint as a private investigator. <br> <br> At 63, Guth lost her son, Gary. Two days after returning from the funeral, she was kidnapped at knifepoint by a former boyfriend. <br> <br> ``I remember thinking, &#39;My children need me. They just lost their brother, they&#39;ve lost their father,&#39;&#39;&#39; Guth said. ``It came to me: I&#39;m going let him think I will take him where he wants to go, but as soon as I see someone, I&#39;m going to hit the horn and start yelling.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Guth did exactly that and escaped unharmed. The man was captured and imprisoned. <br> <br> These days, Guth plans to pursue her music and continue visiting family and friends. <br> <br> Though she&#39;s proud of her accomplishment, she said she will miss being in the classroom every day. <br> <br> ``I feel very young,&#39;&#39; Guth said. ``Hopefully I&#39;ll get back to doing some flying and painting.&#39;&#39;