It’s officially summer, and if the school-age kids in your life aren’t on vacation yet, they will be soon — so there’s no better time to let you know that Duff McKagan is the proud owner of a brand new honorary high school diploma.

Like more than a few rock stars, McKagan dropped out of school, walking away from pencils, books, and teachers’ dirty looks in the 10th grade. To his credit, he eventually picked up his GED — and, after going on to multi-platinum success with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, pursued higher education in business school.

Even so, when McKagan returned to his hometown to deliver the commencement address at his old high school this week and was handed an honorary diploma, it must have been pretty sweet. He acknowledged as much in a tweet to his followers, saying, “Finally got my high school diploma today. I did the not-so-popular 48-year plan.”

Responded Aerosmith‘s Joe Perry: “Congratulations to Duff McKagan from me and [wife] Billie Perry on your long-awaited diploma.”

While McKagan wouldn’t exactly be an educator’s first example for impressionable youth, his story is certainly inspirational. Blabbermouth quotes him describing his journey by saying, “It took me twice as long as an 18- or 19-year-old just out of high school to do the homework, but I got through it.” He’s perhaps being overly modest there; McKagan actually went on to found a wealth management firm, and he’s become a fairly prolific columnist for a variety of publications, including ESPN and Seattle Weekly.

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