Woman graduates alongside daughters at Calgary convocation

Graduates Sarah Jane (far left), Juanita (centre) and Natashia (far right) pose for a photograph alongside the family's father and eldest daughter.

An Alberta mom shared the stage with her two daughters at a fall convocation on Thursday, in what turned out to be an emotional family affair at the University of Calgary.

Juanita Marshall and her daughters, Sarah Jane and Natashia Marshall, all received their bachelor of social work degrees.

"I've watched everyone else do this, it's finally my turn," Juanita Marshall told CTV Calgary as she was preparing to receive her degree.

The mother of three said she had always planned on attending university after her children were in school full-time. But those plans were temporarily put on hold when Sarah Jane and Natashia were diagnosed with a chronic fatigue virus and Juanita made the decision to home school her girls as they were often too ill to leave the house.

The Lac La Biche, Alta., family decided to enroll in the social work program together, and a little bit of friendly competition kept them all motivated.

"We were definitely competitive over who got the best grades," Sarah Jane said. "Typically (our grades) were all very, very close."

While the trio was working towards a bachelor's degree, Sarah Jane's father Martin was completing his Master's of education and her older sister was completing a bachelor of business management.

"Having a family that is doing it with you, you have all that support of people who understand," Sarah Jane said, adding that the family would spend plenty of time working around the kitchen table together.

Juanita, Sarah Jane and Natashia are now planning to pursue their Master’s of clinical social work.

"I wanted them to have really meaningful lives where they embraced their potential," Juanita said.

It’s believed to be the first time a mother and two daughters have all graduated at the same time with a degree in social work -- but they’re not the first overall mother-daughter team.

Marianne Hartman and her daughter both got Bachelor of social work degrees from the University of Calgary in June 2006.

With a report from CTV Calgary