WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - A mother and her daughter will graduate from the same eastern Iowa college later this week.
Jodi Bergmann, 46, and her 22-year-old daughter, Jessica Bergmann, will both graduate together from Hawkeye Community College, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported (https://bit.ly/SQv0ne ).
Both women are single mothers, so they had plenty of demands on their time. Jodi has another daughter, who is 17, as well as a 6-year-old son. Jessica has a 3-year-old son.
Jodi Bergmann wound up back in school after working as a secretary for 21 years.
“As a secretary looking for a job, the prospects were not very good,” she said.
Jessica Bergmann wasn’t initially sure what to think about attending school with her mom, but the two have found ways to support each other.
“I wouldn’t be this far in college if it weren’t for my mom,” Jessica said. “She inspires me in a way to better my life for my son, and she’s bettering her life for her kids. When I see how determined she is to accomplish her goals, it makes me determined to accomplish mine. If my mom can do it, I can do it.”
Jodi Bergman said she’s proud of her daughter.
“She is going to school full-time, working a part-time job and raising her son,” Jodi said. “I’m proud of her.”
Both women plan to go on to pursue bachelor’s degrees, but this time they’ll attend different Iowa universities. Jodi Berrgmann plans to study accounting at the University of Northern Iowa. Her daughter plans to pursue a nursing degree at the University of Iowa.
Mother and daughter helped each other with child care and even took a psychology class together last year.
Jessica Bergmann said she can take most of her fall classes online, but she’ll have to rely on family again for child care when she does have to be on campus.
“I’ll be calling ’1-800-MOMMY,’” she said with a smile.
Next fall, Jessica Bergmann’s sister, Katelynn, plans to follow her mother and sister’s example and attend Hawkeye Community College.
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Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, https://www.wcfcourier.com
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