Mothers around the world encourage their children to earn a college degree. But what happens when the mother and child (son, in this case) are on the journey together?
We posed that question to mom Lisa Martinez and son AJ Velazquez, two of our most recent graduates to join our family of 73,000 Gator alums. On Saturday, May 17, 2025, Martinez graduated cum laude with a BA in Social Sciences and minors in Psychology and History. Velazquez earned his Marketing degree, graduating magna cum laude.
Read on to find out what it is like for a mother/son duo to persevere together through college to graduation.
What's the most unique aspect of experiencing university life and graduation together as mother and son?
Lisa: Completing my degree at a university was a personal goal, and when I realized I was almost at the finish line, I strived to complete my goal by giving everything I had in me. I was focused, determined, and no matter what I wanted to finish strong! The goal became more than just obtaining a degree at UHD in the end, and one of the most unique aspects of university life was that my son and I would possibly experience such a once-in-a-lifetime achievement together. I felt even more encouraged knowing we could walk the stage possibly together one day! I knew my dad would be proud, and my mom in heaven would be shining down on us with joy!
AJ: It was super unique to see my mom working on homework, essays, and projects at the same time as I. In the past (elementary through high school), my mom would make sure I was doing my homework. It is funny because now I would be the only asking my mom if she got her homework done!
Can you share one pivotal moment or challenge during your academic journeys where the other's support was indispensable?
Lisa: The last semester of college was challenging as life had taken some turns, and it seemed like everything that could go wrong did. In spite of the mountains we faced, we always kept our focus on school and getting good grades. Personally, I knew completing my degree would offer a better life for myself and my children. I had to succeed! AJ and I did just that as I graduated cum laude, and he graduated magna cum laude. I could not be prouder!
AJ: Similarly to what my mom said, the last two semesters gave us challenges where we could have given up. We both wanted to graduate for each other and seeing one another not cave in to external pressures helped us stay motivated!
What inspired both of you to pursue your respective degrees concurrently, and what are your proudest accomplishments during this time?
Lisa: Funny thing, I decided to go back to college in 2016. I started by taking one class, then eventually two, and finally three classes a semester as I figured out how to raise young kids and work as well. AJ was still in high school—he was only roughly 16 years old at that point in time. My intention was just to start! Start working towards a degree a little bit at a time! The BEAUTY of this story and journey is that I had NO clue AJ would catch up to me! Once I discovered he had almost as many credits as I did, I did the math and thought to myself, “Wouldn’t that be crazy if we graduate together?”
I also had to pick up the pace, taking summer classes and mini sessions to keep up with AJ. He is a bulldozer and was knocking classes out. I am slightly competitive and made it a game: who can finish first, who did better on tests, and how many A’s we made at the end of the semesters. It was fun, and it definitely kept the fire alive and burning within to do better and better!
My proudest accomplishment is that we both encouraged one another and supported each other. The joy I felt knowing we finished together is indescribable, a truly miraculous and joyous moment. Unforgettable.
AJ: I found my passion for marketing through content creation and running my own eBay store. I started an Instagram page for my store, and I found it really rewarding to be able to see the number of engagements, likes, clicks, and the number of followers go up. Marketing is a way that I can do that professionally.
I am super proud to be a Ted Bauer Undergraduate Business Scholarship recipient. I feel proud of being recognized for my hard work throughout college.
Lisa, how has this educational journey alongside your son enriched your perspective on learning and your future goals?
Lisa: This educational journey with my son has made me feel like I can do ANYTHING that I put my heart and mind to in life. I was once a young mom written off by many as a failure. REDEMPTION is a testament to what you can accomplish with hard work and dedication. The icing on the cake is that my son did exceedingly well in his own educational journey! We did the hard work; we each individually made the choice each day to accomplish our goals; and here we are living a real-life dream! I am still in shock and just so happy! I cannot wait to begin a new story and see what brightness the future holds for each of us.
AJ, how has your mother's pursuit of her degree influenced your own academic path and personal growth?
AJ: My mom’s pursuit of her degree made me realize that everything she has overcome couldn’t/didn’t stop her from seeking a higher education, so nothing can stop me either. She doesn’t let anything stop her from achieving her goals! She helped me be passionate and be yourself when chasing goals.
Lisa, what's the main message or feeling you hope your shared graduation story conveys to the UHD community?
I hope to inspire others who may be struggling in life or having difficulties in school currently. It’s never too late to start over, as many times as necessary, again and again…keep going; your story is not over. If I can do it, ANYONE can do it. I once thought I would never obtain a degree from a university. I am just not smart enough to do that. Fast forward: years later here I am—not only did I graduate; I also graduated with honors.
As a young mom I faced challenges, and I felt my time had passed to be successful. However, once I set my mind on going back to school and just invested in myself one semester at a time, one class at a time, I took it slowly semester by semester until eventually I was at the last semester! Just START.
One last thing, Amber, AJ, and Joel, (my babies), changed my life forever for the better, and their presence is a reminder of God’s love. I would not be where I am today if it were not for them in my life. Having my son AJ graduate with me is one of the proudest moments of my life. I am thankful to my professors and the UHD staff who helped me achieve one of my lifelong dreams of graduating college.