Overcoming his obstacles was beneficial for Shapiro the elder, however. "It was definitely worth it to do this," he says.

"I loved it, and my classmates were wonderful, very supportive. The biggest problem was that they are a lot smarter now than they used to be," Shapiro says.

Despite his self-deprecation, Leon Shapiro will join this new generation of students, including his nephew, as they take their degrees tomorrow.

"I think it's great, really funny," says Jacob Shapiro of graduating with his uncle.

"It will be really exciting for my grandmother who gets to see both her son and her grandson graduate from Harvard together," he says.

Leon Shapiro even requested to receive his degree from his nephew's house "so that my 90-year-old mother doesn't have to move around too much," he says.

"It's a real party for my her. I tell her it's really her story," Shapiro says.

And Leon's mother, Ruth Shapiro, says she's looking forward to tomorrow's Commencement.

"Well, you cannot imagine how happy I am. It's a wonderful thing to live long enough to see that," she says. "And I really hope that they both do great things in the future so that Harvard will be proud of them.