Grandmother and grandson graduate the same day at IU South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) -Indiana University graduates from across the Hoosier State walked across the stage at their commencements.

16 News Now caught up with a couple of new graduates from IUSB who share a special bond.

Learn why their achievements prove that age is just a number when it comes to your education.

Due to Covid precautions, many families had to stay at home to watch the online commencement for IUSB. Keith Taylor had his grandmother in attendance not because of some sort of loophole, but because she too was getting her degree.

At just 64-years-young, Rosecedar Byrd graduated from IUSB with her Master’s in Social Work.

“Everybody knows me here at IUSB as Ms. Rosey. I worked here at IUSB for 27 years in the child development center. Working there, I started going to college there,” she said.

She said this experience helped her realize she wanted to be a therapist.

Around the time she started her master’s program, her grandson Keith started working toward his bachelor’s in biological sciences.

He says they supported each other along the way.

“There were a couple of difficult classes in there that I was like, I don’t know if I’m going to get past these, but seeing her in school, it definitely helped me get past those classes and get to where I am today,” said Rosecedar’s grandson Keith Taylor.

“We did some math studying because that was one of my weakest points in college, was math. But I did it, I conquered it. I was not going to let that keep me down,” Byrd said.

Byrd actually graduated in 2020, but due to Covid, IUSB invited members of last year’s class to the 2021 commencement.

She says seeing her grandson walk across the stage is just as rewarding as doing it herself.

“It is my passion also to make sure my children and my grandkids finish their degree,” Byrd said.

Now they’re both celebrating this big step in their education.

Keith says he’s taking a gap year and eventually plans on applying to veterinary programs, while Byrd is getting right into the field of social work to start giving back to her community by working with Lifeline.

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