On Saturday, May 17, at 3 p.m., Texas A&M University–Central Texas celebrates 375 undergraduate and graduate degree candidates at the Cadence Bank Center in Belton. And a first of its kind occurrence that, so far, university officials say, that hasn’t happened at any other university they’ve been able to find.
According to an exhaustive Google search, no college or university has ever reported four completely separate families each having closely related family members graduating at one time. Until now, that is.
Among the degree candidates, there are two fathers and two sons, a husband and wife, and a brother and sister – who decided to earn their university degrees in sync with each other. And they are finishing the way they started: together.
“When we first realized it was happening, we all looked at each other like, ‘Can this be real?’” said A&M-Central Texas President Richard M. Rhodes, Ph.D. “And then we thought, ‘Well, we have always known our students to be extraordinary when it comes to potential and persistence, and this is an extraordinary example of that.”
Graduation Coordinator, Amelia Smith, noticed the relationships between graduation applicants, anticipating the university’s communications director would want to know. And she was right.
“We love celebrating these family members because it is a reflection of the kind of university we are,” she said. “The fact that family members are choosing to get their degrees together is very special to us.”
And choose, they most certainly did. Of the four pairs of family-related graduates, some decided based on the opportunity to support and challenge each other. For others, it was the affordability of the university’s tuition that made it financially practical. EdSmart editors, echoes Dr. Rhodes, identified A&M-Central Texas tuition as the most affordable in the U.S.
Nicholas Karcher and Cynthya Dennison
Husband Nicholas Karcher, 33, and his wife, Cynthya Dennison, 30, of Copperas Cove, had already undertaken other things together – like a decade of prior military service and the birth of their now 10-year-old son.
Both had also earned college and university credits here and there, but it wasn’t until they moved back to Texas that they set their minds on completing their undergraduate degrees – and doing it together.
And not just together, but at mach speed – together. Both first enrolled at Central Texas College, wrapping up their core courses, taking five or six classes each, completing the core courses needed to transfer – and raising a then 4-year old son before transferring those credits to their individual degree plans at A&M-Central Texas.
After graduation, Dennison plans to return to the university for a master’s degree in applied psychology on her way to a doctorate. Karcher will earn an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and continue a career as a police officer in Copperas Cove.
Deric Rocha and sister Abigayle
Brother, Deric Rocha, 24, and sister, Abigayle, 20, also from Copperas Cove, are self-admitted competitors. But more importantly, it is a friendly kind of competition where each holds the other accountable with the common goal of degree completion in sight.
“She has always been the annoying little sister,” her brother laughed, explaining how he enrolled at A&M-Central Texas first only to be joined by his sister who transferred after completing one semester at a different university.
Both had taken college-level courses in high school and their prior credits transferred straight into their degree programs where both have maintained an impressive 3.9 and 4.0 GPA, respectively.
It was Abigayle who noticed a Spring 2025 graduation date when she was checking her degree plans on the university’s portal during a family dinner and Deric immediately checked his degree plan, too, finding that he, too, would be a Spring 2025 graduate.
They generously credit each other for keeping close tabs on the other, offering constant encouragement not just at this stage but for the future when Abigayle applied for the university’s graduate program leading to licensure in specialist school psychology.
Jorge Casillas and son Jonathan
Jorge Casillas, 49, and son, Jonathan, 24, have both always had a love for learning. And even better, Jonathan says, his father, a former U.S. Army medic, is not one to back away from a challenge, preferring to embrace it.
“Watching him get his MBA is going to be a very proud moment for our whole family,” Jonathan said.
“And being side by side in different programs, but at the same time has made us even closer than we were. There’s a real appreciation for the determination and sacrifice that’s necessary, and we don’t regret doing it together for one moment.”
The feeling is mutual, says Jorge, describing how his son never flinched at the prospect of his undergraduate degree in computer information systems, working and taking classes full-time and on his way to becoming a naval aviator immediately following graduation.
“There’s no doubt in our minds that the goals we had for ourselves and for each other were doable,” he said. “And something about being in it together kept us in that mindset. We lifted each other up all the time and that experience is almost as valuable as the degree.”