Elisa Grecar and her daughter Maddie McGee made a meaningful memory this May when they graduated together from Kent State University – Grecar with a degree in psychology and McGee with a degree in zoology.
Grecar, who had postponed her education for decades to raise her daughters and work in the service industry, chose to complete her degree alongside her children after the restaurant where she worked closed. She attended Kent State University at Stark and walked at both the Kent State at Stark and Kent Campus commencement ceremonies, where she and McGee even crossed the stage one after the other.
The dual Kent State grads were part of a larger family celebration – Grecar’s other daughters also graduated: Cassidy McGee from Bowling Green State University and Avery McGee from Stow-Munroe Falls High School. All four women graduated with honors and Grecar became the first generation in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“We realized about two years ago that we could line it up and we would all be graduating in May of 2025, so we made it our goal,” .
Setting a positive example for her daughters has always been important to her, Grecar shared with Fox 8 News.
“I’ve always kind of had high academic standards for them,”. “They’re pretty driven. They’re all really bright young ladies, so I had always expected a lot of them. And them graduating with honors was huge and then I was like, I can’t expect them to do that and me not do it myself, and so I buckled down, too, and we all did it.”
Grecar is now setting her sights on a master’s degree in school counseling at Kent State, while McGee is starting work at the Akron Zoo. The milestone marks not just a shared moment of achievement but a lasting example of perseverance and lifelong learning.
Photo Credits: WJW-TV/Fox 8 and Elisa Grecar