Priscilla Beaulieu met Elvis Presley when she was a high school student in Germany. Once they entered into a relationship, he convinced her parents to let her finish high school in Memphis so that she could be closer to him. He promised them he would ensure she was a good student and graduated. The problem was, Priscilla’s glamorous life with Elvis didn’t leave her much time for her studies. In order to pass her classes, she decided to leverage her relationship with the musician.
Elvis’ promise to make sure Priscilla remained a diligent student wasn’t compatible with his busy schedule and late hours. Priscilla was exhausted, relying on amphetamines to keep her awake for classes. She was most nervous about her algebra final, her least favorite subject.
“On the day of the test, I sat in the crowded classroom, hyper from downing a [Dexedrine], trying to work out the problems,” she wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “Despite my effort, I knew there was no way I was going to pass. I started to panic. I had to graduate. I had an obligation to Elvis and to my parents, who I knew would yank me out of Graceland the minute I failed this test.”
Desperate, Priscilla decided to turn to the student next to her, who had already completed the test.
“Her name was Janet and she was a straight-A student,” Priscilla wrote. “I tapped her on the shoulder and flashed her my brightest smile, whispering, ‘Are you an Elvis fan?’ Taken aback by my question, Janet nodded yes. ‘How would you like to come to one of his parties?’ I asked.”
Priscilla nodded toward Janet’s test, explaining that she could get her into a party if she gave up her answers.
“Janet instantly grasped my dilemma and, without a word, slid her paper to the edge of her desk,” Priscilla explained. “Now I had a full view of her answers. I spent the rest of the hour furiously copying them down and I not only passed, but I got an A on that test.”
With her passing score, Priscilla was able to graduate. This came as a massive relief, as she could now dedicate her time to Elvis.
“To me, [my diploma] represented freedom, freedom to stay out until dawn if I wanted and sleep all day if I wanted,” she wrote. “It represented freedom from my school uniform and from the teasing the entourage subjected me to every time they caught me in it trying to sneak past them at Graceland. I was a big girl playing in the big leagues.”
Without the obligation of school, Priscilla explained that she and Elvis would sometimes lock themselves in their room for days at a time, only reaching out to the outside world when they wanted food.
Though Elvis wasn’t a huge proponent of schooling, Priscilla said he surprised her with his excitement for her graduation. He was proud and eager to celebrate her achievement. He also wanted to attend the graduation ceremony.
“[T]here was one problem: I did not want him to come to the actual ceremony,” she wrote. “It would attract a lot of attention, and all eyes would be focused on him instead of the graduating seniors.”
She was nervous to tell him, but he seemed accepting, if a little disappointed. He agreed to drive her to the ceremony and wait outside so he could “kinda be there.” While Priscilla would have liked him there, she said that she wanted a moment to honor the work she did to graduate.