“妈妈，我们一起毕业了!“母女俩都喜欢赚钱 同时获得学位

As Corinn VanWyck assessed her progression as a 引导学生这时，她意识到自己正在往下走 四月毕业. 她把这个消息告诉了她的女儿 我是大峡谷的同学，伊娃.

"She said, 'Mom, that means we're graduating together!'" Corinn回忆.

Because their degrees are from different colleges, each will be able to watch the other's 毕业典礼 ceremony this week. 

While one is a more traditional post-high school student and the other a returning student, and their routes toward earning degrees started decades apart, they had this in common: Grand Valley offered at the same time exactly what both needed to ultimately achieve their goals.

Eva said her visit to Grand Valley quickly cemented her future as a 湖人. She has thrived as an exercise science major and honors student.

She has been impressed by GVSU's personalized approach and how academic experts helped steer her to a field of study that suits her, working to help educate people on preventative health measures to 提高健康.

Eva is starting a job at University of Michigan Health West as community outreach and wellness coordinator, an outgrowth of her required internship through the exercise science program.

"I really felt like people saw me as Eva and saw my unique journey on this campus and I didn't feel that on other campuses. 我是 立即全部投入，”伊娃说.

Like her daughter, Corinn started out on the Grand Valley campus immediately after high school – the first in her family to go directly 从高中到大学. 那是20世纪80年代，格兰德谷 not yet a university, with a significantly smaller student population 还有校园足迹，她说.

Her time as a 湖人 art student ended after one year and she 转到密歇根州立大学. 但科琳说她挣扎着 第一代学生. “真的没有什么参照系 for that in my family, so 我是 kind of working my way through school 并考虑如何为其提供资金。.

Corinn said a job opportunity as a graphic artist seemed to be the way for her to make ends meet, but she discovered options then for completing a four-year degree while working during the day 其实并不存在."

She moved on in her career, kept taking community college classes and 获得副学士学位. 她还参加了成人学习班 密歇根州立大学. She ended up on the administrative side of the art world, including a stint as the executive director of the East Lansing Art 节日. She worked for an arts organization in Ludington and is now the clerk in the city's public works department.

Still, Corinn regretted not earning a bachelor's degree. 她说 she knew not having a degree had suppressed her earning potential.

One day, as she and her daughter Amelia were looking at GVSU's website as Amelia was considering schools – she is now a GVSU studio art major – Corinn noticed information on the 领导 program.

Out of curiosity, she sent for her college transcript. 在工作中 with the 领导 advising staff, she found most of her credits 转移. As she leapt into the accelerated program, she even found her life experience allowed her to waive two classes.

Corinn, whose degree program included an emphasis in leadership, said she wants to be a change agent and looks forward to the future 机会来了. 她打算继续她的一生 learning, perhaps even pursuing an advanced degree.

"有 no limit on when you can achieve these things. 有 no limit to what you can learn and how you can continue to be a 终身学习者，”科林说. “大峡谷真的屹立不倒 out in not only the support for traditional college-age students but the opportunities and support for people like me."

Corinn said her daughter is "extremely gracious" to share 和她一起踏上毕业之旅. 但伊娃有另一种看法.

Eva said their tight-knit family – which also includes spouse/dad Chris and youngest sibling Dominic – provided a foundation of strong work ethic and encouragement to follow individual passions.

Eva said to her mom: "I think it's cool that we get to finish at the same time because the culmination of your own efforts have echoed 穿过我. So then to come to fruition at the same time is special.

“我很兴奋. 你知道有多少人能毕业 和他们的妈妈?"