Graduation is a special day for any students because that’s the time their family and friends gather together to celebrate their achievement. But for this mother-daughter duo, the celebrations were also doubled because of what they achieved together.
Continue reading to find out more.
A woman and her daughter graduated from the registered nurse program at East Carolina University together. The university reports this is the first time something like this has happened.
“At first they thought we were sisters, and then I would have to explain that I was the mom, and we were doing it together,” Jessica Van Wagenen shared.
Van Wagenen, now a retired marine, said that she put her dreams on hold so she raise her daughters. But now, as fate would have it she resumed those dreams and her daughter pursued it right alongside her.
“I always thought the girls needed some sort of stability because we were always picking up, moving, and with their dad kind of in and out all the time,” the mother said. “So, I decided to forgo my college and focus on giving the children as much stability as possible and stayed home with them.”
Her daughter Keelin Van Wagenen shared how proud she was of her mother for not giving up on her goals.
“I tell her every day that I’m proud of her and she continued to do what she wanted to do,” the proud daughter said.
Van Wagenen and her daughter have already begun their careers. While Jessica is a nurse in the operating room for Carteret Healthcare, her daughter Keelin is a nurse for ECU Health in pediatrics.
They both say they will forever cherish the memory of attending nursing school together. “It’s pretty exciting. It’s really nice to be able to share that with my daughter. We will always have that together,” Jessica said happily.
“It feels cool. Some people went to school with their siblings, some with their significant others, I just get to say I went with my mom,” Keelin said proudly.
