An Aiken County woman joined her daughter as a graduate of Aiken Technical College Tuesday evening.
Amy Prosser was one of over 400 students eligible to walk across the stage in a ceremony held at the USC Aiken Convocation Center.
Prosser received an associate degree in nursing.
She added her daughter, Ansley, graduated from Aiken Tech's early college program in 2021. Prosser also said Ansley would graduate from Anderson University with a bachelors degree in nursing on Saturday.
"We're both so excited," Prosser said. "We weren't at the same school but we did it at the same time. It meant the world to both of us."
Prosser said when people learn that she'll graduate the same year as her daughter, they often ask, "Was she okay with that?"
"She was just so excited and she was so proud of me," Prosser said. "She kept pushing me. She said, 'mama, this is what you are meant to do.' She is proud of me."
Prosser added she was inspired to seek her associate degree in nursing after her other daughter, Carly, died in 2021.
"I had another little girl who was sick so I stayed home with her," Prosser said. "In 2021, my 9-year old, Carly, passed away. Three months later, I returned to school and here I am."
Prosser added she watched the nurses take care of her daughter and wanted to become a nurse even more. She said she graduated from the licensed practical nurse program in 1996.
In total, the 400 students that graduated Tuesday evening received around 430 associate degrees, certificates or diplomas.
Midland Valley High School senior Antonio Gomez graduated from the early college program.
Gomez said he wants to study aerospace engineering at the University of South Carolina's flagship campus in Columbia and wanted to participate in the program from his earliest days at Midland Valley.
"It's definitely helped me to prepare for what's coming in the future," Gomez said before the ceremony. "It's helped me to save a bit of money as well, having an associate degree out of the way."
Ronald Rhames, the retiring president of Midlands Technical College in Columbia, provided the commencement address.
Rhames, who graduated from Midlands Tech, is the first South Carolina technical college graduate to serve as president of the school he graduated from, Joe Lewis, president of Aiken Tech's governing board, said as he introduced Rhames.
"It is traditional to offer a challenge to the graduating class to mark the new beginning in your lives," Rhames said.
Rhames challenged the graduates to celebrate their accomplishments so far, embrace change as an undeniable necessity of lifelong learning, to find their unique calling and special purpose in life and to be a leader.
Aiken Tech President Forest Mahan and Dara Glass, president of the school's foundation, presented faculty member and staff member of the year awards during the ceremony.
Kate O'Hara-Goergen of the technology department was the staff member of the year.
Rob Collins, engineering and industrial maintenance department chair, was the faculty member of the year.
Both winners received a plaque, a gift from the foundation and a challenge coin for going above and beyond in their duties.
