© 2026 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

96 Years Later, Va. Woman Gets Honorary Diploma

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Linda Wertheimer. In 1918, schools were shut down in Norfolk, Virginia, because of the deadly Spanish-flu pandemic. When they reopened, then 15-year-old Lela Burden was holding down two jobs. She didn't come back. This week, 96 years later, Burden received an honorary high school diploma - a fitting tribute for a woman who noted on her 110th birthday, you learn something everyday, every time you wake up. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

WRVO is now well into its second year without federal funding. Through it all, our mission has stayed the same: serving central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. Listeners like you are what keep journalists on the ground, asking the hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today. You'll be supporting more than yourself. You'll be supporting everyone who depends on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.