Margie Gomez has had a complicated path to graduating with honors from WNMU this May. In 2016 her adult son, Thomas, passed away unexpectedly. While still wrestling with what she describes as “complicated grief” she made the decision to finally attend university, as she had wanted to do when she was younger. By doing so, she feels, she is honoring her son’s life while providing an example to her grandchildren by pursuing higher education.
A first-generation university graduate, Gomez will be earning her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Chemical Dependency. In addition, she will graduate as part of the Millenium III Honors Program, which she said gave her the “courage to try harder.” Honors Program Director Phillip Schoenberg, who is an Assistant Professor of English and Philosophy, described Gomez’s academic career as “an amazing success story” that could inspire “other non-traditional students returning to school after a break.”
She has accomplished all this while attending school full-time, working part-time, and being a grandmother to her two young grandchildren. Despite how busy she has been, she said, earning her degree is “worth the stress.”
Gomez’s grandchildren inspire her and she hopes to inspire them in return. Noting how the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the educational system and how difficult these changes have been for many young people, she said, “If they can see grandma doing it, they will know that they can, too.” Gomez plans to return to WNMU next fall to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling.
Caption: Margie Gomez (pictured) values the educational opportunities offered to her at WNMU and hopes to inspire her grandchildren to reach for their dreams.