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Tuesday December 24, 2024

Wisconsin sisters attend college alongside mom, grandma — 3 generations in pursuit of education

"Age is no deterrent in education," says grandmother Christy

By Web Desk
September 09, 2023
Three generations of students from the same family are pictured on their first day of classes at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. — Carthage College
Three generations of students from the same family are pictured on their first day of classes at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. — Carthage College

Three generations of women from a Wisconsin family have started the autumn semester together at Carthage College in Kenosha proving that age doesn't limit anyone's ambitions.

According to a statement from the liberal arts college, Mia Carter, a freshman studying business and accounting, is starting her first semester there with her mother, Amy Malczewski, 49, and grandma, Christy Schwan, 71.

Samantha Malczewski, Mia's 19-year-old sister and a sophomore in Carthage's nursing programme, is her "familiar housemate" in her dorm.

Samantha acknowledges that she was taken aback to find that her mother and grandma would also be there."They were like, 'Oh, we're going too,'" she told Good Morning America. "It was really surprising."

However, Mia revealed to GMA that she had a hunch that both her mother and grandmother were considering returning to school. After Amy's great-grandmother passed away, the choice was made.

"I think my mom had a realisation that your mom's not always gonna be there," the 18-year-old said, adding that getting "quality time" between mom and grandma was a major factor.

Christy and her daughter are currently enrolled in the 10-month master's programme in business design and innovation offered by the university.

"Life is short, so I tell people to push their doubts aside and go for it," Amy tells People in a statement. "It’s especially sweet to go through this experience with my mom."

In addition to being proud of how her girls are "growing up," Amy, a more than 20-year employee at the institution, told CBS station WDJT-TV that she is also thrilled to see her "mom accomplish something she's always wanted to."

According to the school, Christy, a retired small company entrepreneur and corporate executive, has authored many books. Together is better than separate and "it is never too late for a new beginning" are listed among her main values on her website.

The freshman claimed that having mom and grandma on campus is a huge advantage, despite the fact that their academic schedules are very different from Mia and Samantha's.

"It’s nice that we can walk them to class, meet for a study session, or just meet in the cafeteria for meals," adds Mia. "I really love having that touch of home right here on campus."