We all wish to make the most out of the life we're given. It feels both long and incredibly short all at once, but there's more than enough time for all of us to reach our goals.
This is especially true for one amazing woman who just celebrated her 100th birthday. She has an amazing legacy that was recently cemented by her community as a gift for all she's done.
A life that she's continuing to make the most out of as much as she can.
Born on Sept. 22, 1921, in Detroit, Michigan, Soskin recently celebrated her 100th birthday, and did so while working a job she loves.
She became a park ranger at 85 and has worked the job for the past 15 years, making her the oldest park ranger in the United States.
She has a number of accomplishments under her belt, having written a book about her life, and having a documentary made about her involvement with Rosie the Riveter, with whom she said she had a love-hate relationship with.
She originally began working with the park service on a grant with the goal of telling the stories of black Americans during World War II. That work landed her a temporary position at the parks, and four years later she became a park ranger.
"Standing with Obama on the stage in Washington, D.C., that was the moment that, I really, my whole life came together," Soskin said In an interview with KGO-TV.
She got to introduce President Barack Obama during a national tree-lighting at the White House in 2015, an honor she never thought she'd have.
"[...] I would never have guessed that my life would ever contain such vignettes."
But even after all this time, she's not sure what got her this far. When asked what the secret to a long life is, she answered, "I wish I knew. I'm not sure that there is a secret. I think it's all just one foot at a time. One foot in front of the other. I don't think any one of us really understands what it's about."
El Sobrante, California recently renamed a school in her honor. It is now known as the Betty Reid Soskin Middle School.
"Having a school named for me is more than I ever thought of because it means that a number of children will go into the world knowing who I was and what I was doing here. Maybe it will make a difference. I think maybe it will make a difference."
