PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WCAX) – They say like mother, like daughter. Now, a mother-daughter duo is studying nursing in the North Country.
College is usually a time when parents say goodbye to their kids as they embark on an educational journey, but at SUNY Plattsburgh, that isn’t the case for one mom and her daughter.
“It is nice to have more nurses in the family,” mom Rebeccah Ryan said.
Rebeccah Ryan and her daughter, Kaylynn Ryan, are undertaking a unique experience at SUNY Plattsburgh, where both are currently working toward their nursing bachelor’s degrees.
Rebeccah says it was roughly a decade ago when she earned a two-year degree and began work as an RN.
“I was finishing my two-year RN when she was young and she was really good about me studying,” she said.
After years of working as a nurse, Rebeccah says the recent deaths of her parents made her want to head back to the classroom.
“I was like, you know what, they would be proud of me. They would want me to do this,” she said.
As for Kaylynn, she says it was her mom that led her to pursue a career in nursing.
“I was really inspired by my mom taking care of her parents,” Kaylynn said. “I had helped take care of them, as well, and I just wanted to do what she does.”
Now, both students– Kaylynn and Rebecca– say they lean on each other for support as they navigate the program. But it isn’t just support, Kaylynn says her mom’s hands-on experience helps her build her skills, while Kaylynn’s technical know-how helps with her mom’s assignments.
“I think my first week of class this semester she was showing me how to hang the IV bag and what I was supposed to do with it over Facetime,” Kaylynn said. “I am showing her how to make a PowerPoint, she hasn’t been in school for so long.”
“I have no idea how to do a PowerPoint,” Rebeccah said.
It’s an educational journey that will come to an end when they graduate together in the spring of 2025.
“I did joke that she was raining on my parade– at first,” Kaylynn said, “but all in all, I think it will be a very special moment.”
