Mom and Daughter Overcome Odds, Graduate From Bowie State

After both becoming pregnant as teens and prioritizing family over education, decades later Nora Fields, 54, and her daughter Tanickie Gomillion, 38 will both graduate from Bowie State University on Friday with their master of arts degree in mental health counselling
 
“I pulled her along to get her bachelor’s degree and she pulled me along to get my master’s degree,” said Fields in a press release issued by Bowie State.

Fields decided to go back for her high school diploma when she was 28, and at 46 she attended an open house at Sojourner Douglass College in Baltimore. She asked Gomillion to go with her and both ended up enrolling that same day together.

Both mother and daughter majored in psychology. The took classes together, studied together, graduated with their bachelor's degrees together, and then enrolled in graduate school at Bowie State and followed the same path again, working together and supporting one another.

The master of arts in mental health counseling degree at Bowie State University gives students the option to complete the courses required for initial licensure in the State of Maryland as a part of a degree. The program places great emphasis on interpersonal and helping relationships to prepare persons wishing to become counselors.  Fields will graduate in mental health counseling with a concentration in addictions and Gomillion will graduate with a concentration in addictions and marriage and family counseling.

Their passion and dedication to education has inspired their whole family.

“We tried to break the curse and show [our family] how important education is,” said Gomillion in the press release.

Now, her children talk about education all the time, she says. Two of Fields’ sisters went back to college to get their degrees, her son and youngest daughter decided to go to college, and she has a grandson in college with other grandchildren planning to follow that path as well.

Fields and Gomillion are not finished with their educations. Gomillion plans to earn certificates in counseling and Fields hopes to earn a doctorate in theology. The duo also hope to open a counseling center to help those in difficult circumstances realize their potential.

“All of the things that I went through in my life, at the time I thought it was the worst thing in the world. But I understand that all those things made me who I am today,” said Fields. “I want to tell people you can go on and you can have a good life. You really can.”