Joyce Collins

This year it's Joyce and Joe, next year Lisa
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Joyce Collins, 45, finished her master's degree in education at the same time her son Joe, 23, earned his bachelor's degree in physics and math.Her daughter Lisa is a year away from completing her degree from St. Peter's as well - with a double major in education and psychology.

"It was fun critiquing each other's term papers, and discussing various topics we were studying," said Joyce on attending classes with her son, who was an infant when Joyce received her bachelor's degree from St. Peter's in 1980.
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Siroty said Joyce, who is well-known on campus, told him that her relationship with her son and daughter has improved because of attending classes with them.
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"A mother-son relationship blossomed into a great friendship," Joyce wrote to a colleague at St. Peter's.

Joe, on the other hand, didn't think having his mom on campus affected his studies at all.

"It really wasn't that big of a deal.In high school it might have been, but you grow out of that."

Lisa, who plans to get a master's in education like her mom, said its "cool" to have her mom and brother graduate together, but added: "It is kind of weird to see her graduating all over again."

Joyce and her two children aren't the only members of the family to attend St. Peter's.
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Joyce and Joe are the third mother-child team to graduate together from St. Peter's in the last two years, Siroty said.
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Joyce, who was born and raised in Bayonne, said she'd long wanted to get her master's degree, but something had always come up.

"It was just something that I was always going to do, but the opportunity never presented itself," she said."When you run out of excuses, it's time."

After getting her bachelor's degree from St. Peter's in 1980, Joyce lived in the Midwest for about a decade because of her husband's job.She returned to Bayonne in 1997 to work for St. Peter's as assistant director of human resources.She earned her master's degree, getting straight A's, while working full-time.

Joyce was able to send both Joe and her daughter Lisa to St. Peter's tuition-free because she works at the college.

"It's nice to be able to see her," said Lisa, who lives in the campus dorms but can drop in on her mom when she wants to.
...
laughed Joyce, who traveled to a two-day metal festival in Georgia with her son.

Joe is a past president of Pi Mu Epsilon, the college's math honor society, and Sigma Pi Sigma, its physics honor society.

He currently is teaching physics at Bayonne High School and plans to pursue a doctorate in physics after at least one more year of teaching - which he's now considering as a career.

This year it's Joyce and Joe, next year Lisa
...
Joyce Collins, 45, finished her master's degree in education at the same time her son Joe, 23, earned his bachelor's degree in physics and math.Her daughter Lisa is a year away from completing her degree from St. Peter's as well - with a double major in education and psychology.

"It was fun critiquing each other's term papers, and discussing various topics we were studying," said Joyce on attending classes with her son, who was an infant when Joyce received her bachelor's degree from St. Peter's in 1980.
...
Siroty said Joyce, who is well-known on campus, told him that her relationship with her son and daughter has improved because of attending classes with them.
...
"A mother-son relationship blossomed into a great friendship," Joyce wrote to a colleague at St. Peter's.

Joe, on the other hand, didn't think having his mom on campus affected his studies at all.

"It really wasn't that big of a deal.In high school it might have been, but you grow out of that."

Lisa, who plans to get a master's in education like her mom, said its "cool" to have her mom and brother graduate together, but added: "It is kind of weird to see her graduating all over again."

Joyce and her two children aren't the only members of the family to attend St. Peter's.
...
Joyce and Joe are the third mother-child team to graduate together from St. Peter's in the last two years, Siroty said.
...
Joyce, who was born and raised in Bayonne, said she'd long wanted to get her master's degree, but something had always come up.

"It was just something that I was always going to do, but the opportunity never presented itself," she said."When you run out of excuses, it's time."

After getting her bachelor's degree from St. Peter's in 1980, Joyce lived in the Midwest for about a decade because of her husband's job.She returned to Bayonne in 1997 to work for St. Peter's as assistant director of human resources.She earned her master's degree, getting straight A's, while working full-time.

Joyce was able to send both Joe and her daughter Lisa to St. Peter's tuition-free because she works at the college.

"It's nice to be able to see her," said Lisa, who lives in the campus dorms but can drop in on her mom when she wants to.
...
laughed Joyce, who traveled to a two-day metal festival in Georgia with her son.

Joe is a past president of Pi Mu Epsilon, the college's math honor society, and Sigma Pi Sigma, its physics honor society.

He currently is teaching physics at Bayonne High School and plans to pursue a doctorate in physics after at least one more year of teaching - which he's now considering as a career.

Joyce Collins - Teacher Liaison