The message is good advice, and especially appropriate for Torrice, a Laurel Springs resident who attended Rutgers-Camden at the same time as her three children.
After raising her children while her first husband went to college, Torrice was inspired to pursue her own dream of a college degree when her oldest daughter, Jennie Murabito-Owens, earned her law degree at the Rutgers University School of Law at Camden.
The entire family of Rutgers-Camden graduates and students will be on hand to applaud Torrice when she receives her bachelors degree in museum studies during a graduation ceremony for the Rutgers-Camden Faculty of Arts and Sciences at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 17.
I convinced her that because I was here it would be okay. But I told her that she had to do it now because Ill be graduating, says Jennie who earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers-Camden in 2003, and will serve as an attorney at Pellettieri, Rabstein & Altman in Princeton starting in September.
Torrice says her family knew Rutgers-Camden was a fit for them when they attended an on-campus open house and felt immediately welcomed.
After taking a photography course at Camden County College, Torrice enrolled in the museum studies program at Rutgers-Camden in 2004. Torrices return to school inspired her two youngest children, Liz and Anthony, to join their mother at Rutgers-Camden. This past spring, Torrices final semester, the two children and mother all took a course about human reproduction together.
Im sure there are days that they hate that Im here, but we support each other. I see what the kids are going through. I know what its like to work. Its hard, says Torrice.
Part of being a family means helping each other during hard times. For Liz, attending class became even more challenging when she developed a medical condition that caused her to pass out suddenly. Born with a heart problem and an inner ear disease, Liz relied on her mom and brother to support her while she was on campus. This family togetherness also benefited them academically.
We help each other in the classroom and study together at home. I stuck with harder classes because of my family. My mom listens well and takes a lot of notes, says Liz, a junior psychology major.
Anthony, a Rutgers-Camden sophomore art major, also enjoys having his moms support on campus.
If Mom wasnt here, Id probably be lost. I owe a lot to her, he says.
Torrices thesis poster presentation on artist Seymour Lipton was definitely a family effort. Anthony, an aspiring graphic designer, created a seamless slideshow set to scores by Danny Elman on his MacBook Pro as well as offered insight on the posters overall presentation. Jennie had created a poster for her own undergraduate requirements at Rutgers-Camden and knew how to assemble the boards.
Liz was my motivator. She kept telling me that I could do it, says Torrice, with just a hint of parental pride.
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