It took decades, three daughters and a lot of long days, but Irma Garcia has finally got the degree she came to the United States to pursue.
Garcia, 72, moved from Puerto Rico to the Washington, DC, area in 1978 while in her early 20s. Her oldest daughter was 3, and her twins were 1. She told USA TODAY she left Puerto Rico because she wanted to go to school and said her wages there made it hard to support her family.
A single mother of three, Garcia often worked multiple jobs while raising her daughters on her own. She took classes at a local community college and earned her associate’s degree in the 1980s. She did not continue then, saying “it was very hard, you know, with three daughters.”
Five years ago, in her late 60s and semi-retired, Garcia said she had more time and was able to take three free classes each semester through George Mason University’s senior tuition waiver program.
On Saturday, May 16, Garcia graduated from George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Now a grandmother of eight, she walked across the stage in her cap and gown and collected her diploma.
“When you’re young, you always think that everything has to be done immediately,” she said. “You don’t have to do it all at the same time. You can take your time.”
Garcia said she now wants other people, especially women of color who did not have easy access to education when they were younger, to have the resources they need to go to college if they want to.
She said five of her grandchildren have also graduated from college and were among her biggest supporters, helping her with technology and study tips. Her daughters also helped, stepping in as caregivers when she was sick and helping her financially.
“This is a family accomplishment,” Garcia said.
Garcia said getting a degree later in life has become almost an unofficial tradition in her family. Her grandmother graduated from high school when her sons did, and her mother got her bachelor’s degree after she retired.
Garcia spent her career helping people experiencing homelessness find housing. She also worked side jobs, including evening shifts at Wendy’s and a job as a clerk at the community college where she studied.
She said not having family in the United States made child care hard to find. As her daughters got older, she relied on her oldest to help care for the younger two.
“If I went to school sometimes on the weekend, I would take them all and she would sit at the cafeteria or at the library and she would take care of the other two, and I would be running for the classroom,” Garcia said.
Sometimes it felt like too much, she said, but her daughters kept her going.
“It’s not easy, but it can be done,” she said. “I think all of us should aspire to have a better life.”
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