Grandfather goes back to school, enrolls at same university as granddaughter

Melanie Salazar is a freshman at Palo Alto College in Texas, and luckily, she has someone familiar by her side: her grandfather.

Eighty-two-year-old Rene Neira is the most popular student on campus, after his granddaughter’s tweet went viral.

“I’m so proud of my grandpa for finishing his first day at PAC this semester!” wrote 18-year-old Melanie on Twitter. “82 years old and not giving up!”

Rene has to finish just one class to earn his associate’s degree in economics.

Melanie told the Huffington Post that she's thrilled that she can have lunch with her grandpa this semester.

“Honestly, to me it feels normal that I’m going to school with my grandpa,” she told ABC News. “I look at my grandpa and I’m proud of him. This is a normal thing. It feels great and I’m very proud of him.”

Grandpa has no intention of stopping anytime soon. Rene plans on attending the University of Texas at San Antonio to earn his bachelor’s after earning his associate’s degree this semester.

“I like to say he’s my best friend and it’s great to have him here with me.”

Posted by HuffPost Good News on Tuesday, August 30, 2016