At the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Spring Commencement on May 15, Sonya Weaver will not be sitting in the Cajundome seats watching her firstborn daughter, Kylie, receive her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Instead, she will be standing in line right behind her.
The mother-daughter duo has been in lockstep throughout their educational journey at the University. Crossing the Commencement stage together marks a major milestone in their professional lives, but also in their relationship.
“We've grown closer going to school together,” said Sonya. “In the beginning, when she came here, I think I played more of the typical mom role, where I was like, ‘you need to make this grade. You need to do this. You need to do that.’”
Now, they have more of a self-described “best-friend dynamic.” They synchronized their class schedules, carpooled to and from campus, studied together and — perhaps most essentially — leaned on each other when things got tough. “We both really needed the support system,” said Kylie.
Kylie said she struggled when she first entered UL Lafayette right after high school during the pandemic. She ultimately decided to step away and join her mom at South Louisiana Community College. Sonya, who had recently gone back to school at the age of 41 thanks to “a lot of convincing” from Kylie, embraced the opportunity to learn alongside her daughter.
“It is amazing to be able to experience it firsthand with her,” said Sonya. “It's a great gift, letting her see me as a person.”
Even before finishing their associate degrees in criminal justice at SoLaCC, Sonya and Kylie had their minds made up to continue their education at UL Lafayette. This time, Kylie felt a renewed sense of confidence with her mother by her side.
Sonya, in turn, relied on Kylie for help as she took on a more demanding courseload while managing her caregiving responsibilities. Supporting her two other children, one with special needs, and her own mother who lives with the family, Sonya admitted it often felt like there was never enough time in the day.
“Being able to be a student, be a mom, still be supportive for my kids who are trying to conquer their dreams and...” she trailed off.
“Just basic chores needing to get done,” Kylie finished her sentence.
“Yeah, making sure everybody eats,” laughed Sonya.
Following graduation, Sonya plans to continue to study criminal justice in graduate school, with hopes of one day following in the footsteps of her grandfather, who was a university professor. Kylie also hasn’t ruled out another degree. In the short term, she is considering pursuing training in probation and parole and would like to serve as an advocate in the juvenile justice system.
“She's very passionate about change and the need for change,” said Sonya. “That has been one of my favorite parts — watching her grow.”
Photo caption: Sonya and Kylie Weaver will graduate together this May with bachelor's degrees in criminal justice. Photo credit: Doug Dugas / University of Louisiana at Lafayette