By Lori EhdeArea high school seniors aren’t the only ones celebrating graduation this spring.Sixty-five-year-old Bonnie Scherff, Luverne, has joined the ranks of high school graduates holding their diplomas, and it’s an achievement she’s not taking lightly."It was one of the most exciting things I did in my life," she said. "It was hard, but I loved every minute."Scherff said she spent much of her adult life thinking about her missing diploma. "I quit school because I knew everything," she said. "And after a couple years I started regretting it. … But then I got married and had babies and kind of forgot about it for a while."It wasn’t until she lost her job at Dekalb Seed Co. in Brandon, S.D., that she started thinking about getting her GED (graduate equivalent diploma).She enjoyed her work in the Dekalb lab for seven years, but when the company moved away, her thoughts turned to education."I thought about it all through the years," she said about her diploma. "Now I had plenty of time to do it because I was unemployed."So, Scherff took the leap.From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., three days a week for seven months, Scherff attended class in Room 214 of Luverne High School under the instruction of Dee Olson."She has lots of patience," Scherff said. "Here, it’s almost like one-on-one instruction."Olson had equally high praise for Scherff, who is considered a non-traditional student among her classes of younger people working to catch up."She was an excellent student," Olson said. "She was a very hard worker, and was very consistent about being there all the time. … I wish my younger students could learn from her perseverance."Olson said it’s rare to have students as old as Scherff in the program, but she wishes more seniors would consider it."It’s interesting how much you learn from living and how you can apply that to learning," Olson said. "Bonnie did a great job of doing that. She had such a wealth of information to bring to her education."Scherff said she was surprised by how challenging the coursework was. "Algebra was the worst," she said. "At one point I almost thought about quitting."But, she said it was equally as rewarding."It was exciting," she said. "It kept my mind going because I was learning things."Other than receiving a party balloon from her grandchildren, Scherff’s graduation was a quiet affair. "On March 18 I got my diploma in the mail," she said.Now, she’s considering taking up Spanish, and she’s encouraging others to get their GEDs."I think everyone should try it," she said. "What have you got to lose?"For information about the GED program or to register for classes, call Luverne Community Education at 283-4724.