Andrea Fitzgerald, left, and her mother, right, graduated together Saturday from Eastgate Community College in a ceremony in YSU's Stambaugh Stadium after Andrea studied business management and her mother Detrik Parker, both of Youngstown, studied to be a patient navigator in the healthcare field.

YOUNGSTOWN — Detrik Parker and her daughter Andrea Fitzgerald, both of Youngstown, graduated Saturday from Eastern Gateway Community College during a ceremony at Stambaugh Stadium at Youngstown State University.

Parker studied to become a patient navigator in the medical field, and Fitzgerald studied business management. Parker’s friend, Meena Cortez of Youngstown, studied to become a paralegal.

“I almost didn’t walk today, but my daughter said, ‘How many daughters get to walk with their mothers?’ and that convinced me to come today,” Parker said, sporting her “Better late than never” mortar board.

A single mom of four daughters who had her first at 16, Parker had a goal for her children: to see them complete school before having children themselves. With a smile on her face, she said she has done just that.

“I made sure they did what I didn’t,” she said.

My mom had nine kids before she went back and finished school, too. Now that they are all mostly grown, I decided to do the same thing and go back to school. If she could do it, I could do it. And, I already started a job in my field,” Parker said.

It wasn’t always easy as Parker cared for and lost her mother as she pursued her studies. But, it was well worth it.

“It is never too late to go back to school, Parker said. “It is better late than never.”

And when it comes to successfully raising daughters, Parker said it is important to support them as children, to introduce them to a lot of experiences, to be positive and to create goals.

“A goal doesn’t have to be beyond the stars, it is enough to reach for the stars,” Parker said.

There were 3,700 graduates among the Youngstown and Steubenville campuses and EGCC’s online programs, which officials said was the largest class in the community college’s history. Fewer than 600 actually attended the event.

Staff photos / Renee Fox