Karea Berry who is also a mother of one revealed that they are both enrolling for a Master’s degree to advance their education. She narrated that she did not imagine she would be graduating at the same time with her mother when she enrolled.

However, two years after she commenced her studies at Chicago State University, she took time off after her daughter was born. She returned full-time in after earning enough money to continue her education and by that time, her grandmother had catch up with her.

When Karea resumed after her child was born, she admitted that she initially was not thrilled running into her grandmother. I was like, ‘Oh my God, no. My grandma is on campus yelling my name?’ She’d say ‘Don’t you have to be in class?’ ” she narrated.

After a few years together at the university, they became a support system for each other. “Just knowing she was there brightened my day,” Karea said.

Karea received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and plans to pursue a master’s in mental health counselling. Her grandmother, Belinda, who had graduated high school in the 1970s finally earned her bachelor’s in business administration as one of the top students in their class of 457 graduates.

Karea hopes to start her career as Chicago police officer and then wants to open a community resource center in Englewood, one of Chicago’s poorest and most violent neighbourhoods. Her grandmother, Belinda, Belinda hopes others looks to her example.

“I would like to be an inspiration to the young and old as well. You can achieve whatever you want to no matter what your age,” she said.