FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Every so often, personal goals are a team effort. When Nathenia Wells, a Soldier with Headqaurters and Headquarters Co., Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, walked the stage for the post-wide graduation ceremony June 9, she did it in style " with her mother by her side. Nathenia and her mother, Sandra Wells, left the Main Post Theater, as graduates of Central Texas College " each with an associate of arts degree in general studies (Nathenia graduated with honors, Sandra with high honors).
They were the first mother-daughter duo in their large, extended Family to successfully pursue higher education.
“We’re making history,” said Sandra, who first attended college in the 1990s but delayed her degree to raise three children. As a single mom, Sandra encouraged her daughters and son to succeed in life " teaching them the importance of a good education and personal motivation. When Nathenia’s marriage dissolved, Sandra stepped in to alleviate the stress of single parenthood within the military.
“When I was in Florida I was going to be a physical education teacher because I love sports and I love interacting with the (children). That’s all I ever did from the 80s until now is work in the school system,” said Sandra. This commitment to Family drew Sandra to the Fort Bragg school system after arriving in North Carolina, and she now works in the MacNair Elementary School cafeteria.
“Looking at my mother and seeing what she went through as a single mother, it gave me inspiration to press on. She’s the reason that I graduated today because I had one class left … I was going to take it in the fall and she was like, ‘you don’t think you could just try and push yourself to take one more class’?” said Nathenia, who plans to pursue a degree in clinical social work with the goal of helping Army Families.
Nathenia deployed to Haiti on a humanitarian mission last year, which probably helped to alter her career goals. Rather than work in the medical field as a nurse, Nathenia switched to the more personable aspect of social work, where she could follow-up with people like those she helped in Haiti. For Nathenia, college was a sometimes difficult process. As the mother of four children, she had to balance an Army career, parenthood and school studies.
As a girl, Nathenia said she never pictured herself in the military. Her father was a Marine, though, and the benefits of service were eventually too good to ignore. According to Nathenia, “I saw the opportunities that were available as far as education and stability, and I just thought it would be a good opportunity for me and my children.”
Dedicating herself to a college education wasn’t easy, but the military’s tuition assistance helped to alleviate the financial load. There were some long nights for sure. Mother and daughter often opened their books after dark, studying for classes like introduction to sociology.
“I even went through a semester while I was pregnant. I was still taking classes in the middle of my delivery … I was e-mailing my teacher (assignments) while I was on recovery,” said Nathenia, who praised the flexibility of Central Texas College staff.
A full load of classes turned Nathenia’s last semester into a sea of textbooks and college papers and heightened the appeal of graduation day. From here, it will be another two years before she secures a bachelors degree through Fayetteville State University. Sandra has enough former credits to speed up that process.
After watching his mother walk the stage (decked in a black cap and gown), Nathenia’s four-year old son decided to attend college as well " Xavier announced his intentions to skip elementary school in pursuit of a college degree. Most likely he’ll have a pair of dedicated tutors along the way …
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