'Never give up:' 71-year-old mom, daughter celebrate college graduations together
On a June day in 1970, Yvonne Spann Sowers was an 18-year-old student celebrating her high school graduation. Standing next to her, turning her own tassel to the side, was her mother, then 50 years old, who also received her diploma that day. The pair completed their high school education together, a mother-daughter duo who symbolized the power of simply never giving up.
More than 50 years later, that scene repeated itself this month when Spann Sowers, now 71, stood beside her own daughter as the family memoralized yet another shared, multi-generational graduation celebration.
“I still felt like I still needed to learn some more,” Spann Sowers, a now-retired Deed Analyst for the Berkeley County Government, told Paste BN. “Just don't [ever] think that you're done because you're 70 or 80 or even 25.”
Spann Sowers returned to school part time in the fall of 2016, graduating earlier this month from W.L. Bonner College with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies with a focus in women’s ministry.
Her daughter, Eyamba Sowers Scott, celebrated her graduation around the same time, receiving a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from National University.
Both women jumped back into education with fulfilling, accomplished careers already under their belts, Spann Sowers with the county government and Sowers Scott with the military and in the medical field. However, their thirst for life-long learning eventually drew them both back into the classroom, where they were considered “non-traditional learners” but welcomed with open arms by their peers and professors alike.
“I felt welcome and fully supported. We were a team in the classroom,” said Spann Sowers. “We worked together, all of us, when we had projects we had to do, we prepared well with each other, different ages and everything.”
The road back to the classroom
Sowers Scott had always had a master’s degree on the mind. She began her career right out of high school, joining the military where she served for 27 years before retiring in 2019. In that time, she obtained her bachelor’s in business administration and worked as a respiratory therapist for 25 years, eventually becoming an advanced emergency medical technician for the military. With a desire to meld her background in military service with her background in medical care, Sowers Scott decided to return to school for her MA.
Spann Sowers said she was first bit by the back-to-school bug when moving her youngest daughter into her college dorm. She loved the feeling of being on campus and decided she wanted to experience it herself, attributing her enthusiasm to a yearning to learn more. Soon after, she received a scholarship from her church’s missionary department, solidifying her decision to go back part-time.
Spann Sowers was struggling with illness at the time and received the scholarship offer in July of 2016, while in the hospital. Despite this, she began her schooling a few months later in September.
“You see the role model [I’ve] got?” said Sowers Scott of her mother’s determination.
A mother herself, Sowers Scott noted that going back to school as an adult learner did entail facing some unique challenges. She also began her degree during the 2020 pandemic and completed it in an entirely virtual environment.
“Just the stresses of life alone was just a concern for me because we didn't know what was coming,” said Sowers Scott. “You know, we didn't know what the next day may bring and just making sure my household was taken care of during that time and being able to study and I guess take care of just life, things that happens in life, you know, was my biggest concern.”
Spann Sowers, who lived with her daughter at the time while recovering from medical issues, said she had a few of her own worries about re-joining the academic world.
“I was disabled,” she said. “I lost my hearing in one ear from my brain surgery that I had. And I was afraid at first, thinking that I may fail, not be able to hear the teacher, keep up with the class and everything.” Once she got back into the saddle, however, learning and diving into her studies, her hesitations were quickly banished and she was able not only to participate in class and keep up, but excel.
"Don't give up your journey, whatever you want,” she said. “The passion was there all the time. I was afraid at first, but then I started going forward and I didn't feel the fear anymore.”
Living by a motto: never give up
Though the mother-daughter pair did not intentionally plan on completing their degrees in the same semester, the serendipity has served as a major milestone for the family. Sharing the moment with the world has made it extra sweet, said Sowers Scott, who has heard from people all over the country who credit her family’s story with inspiring them to go back to school.
This people-focused impact is perfectly in line with the goals of both graduates, who say they plan to use their new degrees to serve the larger community.
“My future is so bright, I wish I had the shades to put on and let you see how bright it is,” said Spann Sowers. “My future is so bright because what I learned, I'm going to try and use it to my best ability at the church and give it back to the community as well as to the church.”
Sowers Scott, who is considering going back yet again further down the line for a PhD or law degree, shares her mother’s passion for giving back.
“I really would like to work, you know, in the emergency management realm of things,” she said. “Like I said, to help our local community.”
As for other non-traditional students considering going back? Spann Sowers and Sowers Scott said they will cheer them on every step of the way.
“[To] anyone feeling the fear, just keep on trying one day at a time,” said Spann Sowers. “Pressing forward, don't give up, never give up. Just keep on trying until you make what you want.”
Sowers Scott, a true believer in her mom’s motto, had a message much the same.
“It's never too late to do the things that you have a passion for." she said. "Time is going to pass regardless. You can choose to do something with your time or not.”