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Degree Glee
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Jeannine Baker, left, and her mother, Bea Baker, embrace at Youngstown State University. Both will earn their master’s degrees in social work during spring commencement ceremonies Saturday at Beeghly Center. The undergraduate ceremony is 10 a.m.; the graduate ceremony is at 2:30 p.m.
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
Education runs in the Baker family.
Mother, Bea, and daughter, Jeannine, both will receive their master’s degrees in social work during Youngstown State University’s spring commencement ceremony Saturday at Beeghly Center.
“I’m going to cry,” said Jeannine, 40, of Austintown.
This marks the second time Bea, 59, of Youngstown, has walked across the stage to accept a diploma at the same time as one of her children.
In 2009, she and daughter, Monique Brown, both earned their bachelor’s degrees in social work from YSU.
Bea and Jeannine shared most of the same classes, but they didn’t study together.
They share a look, then a chuckle before explaining that they have different study styles.
Bea is more social; Jeannine, focused.
Jeannine, who is working as a caseworker at Trumbull County Children’s Services, has a slightly higher grade-point average than her mother, but it’s Bea who’s the competitive one, Jeannine says.
Bea, who runs a hair salon, Bea’s House of Elegance, and works part time as a guardian at Help Hotline, began her studies at YSU 10 years ago.
“I waited till all of my kids had the opportunity to go to school,” she said.
Jeannine started at YSU right after graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School, but she dropped out, initially intending to take just a quarter off, had two children and didn’t return for 13 years.
In 2007, she earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
“Education is very important to our family,” Bea said. “I used to think that my stepfather was mean because every night before we went to bed, we had to do math.”
As an adult, though, she appreciates the hard work her stepfather demanded.
Both women earned their degrees as nontraditional students, and though they fit in well and grew close to their classmates, they struggled to juggle the demands of full-time school, work and family.
At one point, Jeannine thought about quitting and told her mother.
“She said, ‘Go ahead. I’m not,’” Jeannine said.
Her mother had always been a cheerleader for her before, telling her to rely on her faith, so when she said that, it surprised her daughter.
“When she said that, I thought, ‘I’m going to finish,’” Jeannine said.
The reason for Bea’s response was twofold. She knew it would motivate her daughter to complete her studies, and she was serious. She wasn’t going to allow anyone to stand between her and the completion of her degree.
Bea was 49 when she decided to return to school and it was intimidating at first. Thirty years had passed since she was last in class and she had to learn to study all over again.
Ten years, an associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree later, she says it was worth it.
She’s encouraged hair clients to pursue their degrees. “It’s important for people to know it’s never too late,” Bea said. “Don’t listen to people who tell you you can’t do something.”