For some students, earning a degree is more than an academic achievement. It is a decades-long goal, a personal milestone and a powerful example for family.
That is the case for recent graduate Irene Gomez. Gomez walked the Rio Salado College commencement stage in May to receive her associate in applied science degree with an emphasis in information technology. Her long academic journey took twists and turns along the way, but throughout the past few years, she maintained a 3.40 GPA while balancing college with a full-time career, family responsibilities and the demands of everyday life.
Her graduation came with special timing: just one week after Gomez graduated from college, her son, born a few years after she originally started college, finished his high school diploma.
“What perfect timing,” Gomez said. “I could graduate with him.”
Life Path Changes Trajectory
Following early graduation from high school, Gomez enrolled in college while helping care for her grandmother. She spent time at the hospital, and once her grandmother moved back home, took evening classes so she could continue her grandmother’s care during the day while her parents worked.
At first, Gomez considered criminal justice. After helping care for her grandmother, she thought about nursing. When her grandmother passed away, Gomez, then 21 and a single mother, found that the demands of parenting and school were just too tough to manage and stepped away from schooling.
“Shortly after I had to quit,” she said. “It was brutally difficult being a single mom and going to class.”
Gomez, however, did not let go of the goal. In 2020, when her son was older and more independent, she found could focus more consistently on finishing her degree. She returned to college, sometimes taking one or two classes a semester or even one or two classes a year.
As she got closer to the finish line, she slowly increased her course load. Earlier this year, her Rio Salado advisor, Sherri Moore Williams, shared that Gomez only had three classes left to complete. Gomez pushed to finish her degree so it could align with her son’s high school graduation.
“It was so shocking and so perfect,” Gomez said. “We were ecstatic we got to graduate together. We are best friends and each other’s support system, so it was great.”
Gomez’s son, Link, said watching mom finish her degree was a proud moment.
“She had always been such a hard worker,” he said. “It encourages me to be just like that. It inspires me to work hard and grasp the future I am looking for.:
Gomez credits her support system for helping her stay on track, including her son, her boyfriend of 10 years, her family, her boss and her workplace, which supported her through tuition reimbursement and supervisor approved “learning days” to study for finals.
Rio Salado Degree Leads to Work Success
Her Rio Salado degree has already made an impact professionally.
“Work wise, I got a raise, which is pretty exciting,” Gomez said.
The program also helped her better understand the many areas of information technology and where she wants to focus next.
“I think it gave me more understanding of IT in general and what I like in IT,” she said. “Now I know what I’m truly interested in and what I like and don’t like.”
As part of her degree path, Gomez also completed coursework in the college’s new AWS Cloud Practitioner program. She plans to continue building that knowledge.
“I was very interested in the cloud model for AWS,” she said. “I’m going to take the next class, as well, so I can learn a little bit more.”
Personally, Gomez said earning her degree at 40 is difficult to put into words. She is proud of what she accomplished and especially proud that she could show her son what persistence looks like.
“I could show him no matter what age you are you can go back to school, you can finish, you can reach your goals,” she said.
Link, her son, agreed. “She showed me that even having a kid so early doesn’t make life impossible. She showed me that with enough hard work and a little help, College can still be completed and life can still open doors even if its more difficult to get there.:
He’s taking these lessons to heart. He is looking to study film and theater at the New York University
Her advisor, Moore Williams said, Gomez demonstrated that throughout her time at Rio.
“Irene is a dedicated and serious student who pursued her AAS in Information Technology degree with equal amounts of diligence, fervor, and enthusiasm,” Moore Williams said. “She is an extraordinary and exceptional student whose desire to earn her degree is only exceeded by her support and dedication to her family.”
For students considering online learning or returning to school after time away, Gomez’s advice is simple.
“Don’t give up,” she said. “Sometimes it can get very hard, stressful, overwhelming. Don’t give up. You can absolutely do it.”