Taking Family Time to the Next Degree

Just by walking across the stage, four TCC graduates made headlines with The Star-Telegram, the local CBS television and radio affiliates and then the national television program, “CBS News This Morning.”

“This is a lot to take in,” Jody Waddell said. “We just went to school.”

Jody, her husband and two of their sons all just going to school. And all receiving their diplomas together at the May 16 TCC commencement.

Neil, 47, and Jody, 45, were teenagers when they enrolled at TCC in the late 1980s.

“We realized quickly we were not mature enough,” Neil says. “I planned to be pre-med, but I was done after six weeks of college.” At the end of her first semester, Jody had a 1.6 grade point average.

They put away their books, got jobs and started a family.

Years later, the couple’s five children tested their resolve to return to school.

“We were discussing our eldest son’s future when one of the children asked why they had to go to college when we didn’t. We weren’t going to ask our children to do something we hadn’t done ourselves.”

Neil Waddell

Leading by example is never a small feat. Neil is a realtor and Jody works full time in accounting. Maturity wasn’t an issue this time around, but scheduling and finances were.

“In order to make this work we’ve taken weekend classes,” Jody says. “We’ve taken online classes. We’ve taken afternoon classes. We’ve taken early morning classes. We’ve taken all of them.”

The family members saved money by taking classes together and sharing books. Soon their relationships extended beyond traditional roles. “We had our own little study group. We helped each other and kept each other accountable,” Jody says.

They all took at least four classes at a time. “We brought our grades up so many times because of our study groups,” Matthew, the eldest Waddell child, says.

For Benjamin, 19, having his parents in class made him feel less nervous. “I wasn’t expecting the benefit of going to college with my family to be as strong as it was.”

But Matthew, 21, found it awkward forming relationships with coeds while his parents sat next to him. “There’s a cute girl in class, but mom is in class. I had to make arrangements after class.”

One of the Waddells’ favorite memories of their TCC experience was traveling to Hawaii to earn science credits as part of a field studies program. And their biggest lesson?

“If someone wants to do something,” Neil said, “they find a way.”

They have earned their associate degrees, and together they will attend a four-year school. Neil, Jody and Benjamin will study business, and Matthew will pursue psychology.

TCC continues to be a family affair. The couple’s 16-year-old daughter, Moriah, is enrolled in TCC’s Dual Credit program, earning college credit while completing her home school studies.

Joshua, 13, and Elizabeth, 10, contemplate attending their own TCC commencement one day. They may even find a way to take classes together. After all, it’s a Waddell family tradition.