THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
HOOPESTON — Being a first generation college student and soon-to-be graduate in her family is a milestone for Amanda Inman when she takes the stage at Danville Area Community College on Friday night.
“It’s kind of a big deal with my family,” Amanda said.
She too gets to share in this celebratory weekend with her 17-year-old daughter, Aubreyana, who graduates from Hoopeston Area High School a day later, on Saturday.
Amanda is a Summa Cum Laude graduate and Aubreyana is one of two valedictorians.
Aubreyana said, “I’m just very proud of my mom. We’ve both been working hard for this for years, and it’s pretty surreal that it’s finally here and we’re both graduating at the top of our class.”
Amanda, 38, said her mother, Lori Presswood who was killed in a car accident in Danville in 2012, always wanted her to go to college.
Amanda has decorated her graduation cap in memory of her mom.
The top of the cap is decorated with flowers and photos of her mom and says “I hope you are proud of what you see watching with the angels. LJP”
Amanda is graduating Friday from DACC’s Early Childhood Education program with plans to continue onto a bachelor’s degree in social work.
DACC’s Lara Conklin says Amanda is mom to two brilliant daughters, Aleigha, who already graduated at the top of her class, and Aubreyana.
Aubreyana has received a full presidential scholarship to attend DACC after high school to get her associate’s degree. She plans to go to flight attendant school in Florida, where she has to be 20 years old, after that.
Amanda also has a six-year-old son, Memphis.
Amanda called herself a “military brat” moving around growing up. Her family finally settled in Indiana and now she’s lived in Hoopeston for the last 13 years.
She’s married to Christopher and has her own home daycare, right now with six families and 12 children.
“I’ve always been a caretaker by nature,” Amanda said.
She started as a certified nursing assistant, working with adults with developmental disabilities. However, when becoming a mother, she was finding it hard to find trustworthy child care, she said.
She started her daycare about 14 years ago.
When she looked at going to DACC, Amanda said thankfully, grants through the government and state funded her college degree.
She said she could complete her classwork online and attend DACC in Danville in person a couple nights a week, after working during the day.
She managed to balance her home, work and college life.
Amanda’s advice to others about going to college later in life, like herself being a full-time mom, with a full-time job and full-time school schedule, is “it’s very worth it” and they should seek out their dreams.
“If I can make time, it’s possible,” Amanda said. “It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it.”
