All in the Family
For the Herreras, education is a family value
By Ana Ribero

Education has always been important in the household of Maria and Raymond Herrera. “Not going to college was never an option in our home,” says Maria, a student and office professional at Northwood University in Palm Beach.

Four caps, four gowns, and one party later, four members of the Herrera family had graduated from college or high school, and it all happened in the same year.

Maria and her husband, Raymond Herrera, decided to enroll in NU’s Fast Track program when Maria started working at the school. “Being around the academic world did it to me,” Maria says. “I had started my bachelor’s degree before but didn’t finish because I got too busy with my job, my house, and my three boys.”

When they enrolled, they also had their oldest son, Ramon, in Yale University studying molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, and their middle son, Orlando, studying visual arts at the A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. Their graduations all fell on the same semester. The only Herrera not graduating was their youngest son, Emilio, who attends Boynton Beach High School.

Having everyone in school was a big change for the family and everybody had to do their part to keep the Herrera house sailing smoothly. “Everybody had to cooperate,” Maria says. “One would do the laundry, one would do the cooking, and the other would do the folding. It was like an assembly line.”

Nevertheless, the Herreras pulled together and the experience only brought them closer. Maria says the family accomplished their goals thanks to a little time management and a lot of help from each other.  “It made us more responsible for each other’s needs,” she says. “If they knew that I had class, they would do the cleaning, the vacuuming, and the cooking.”

The hardest part of the experience was having to give up some of the things they had once enjoyed as a family. “I had to miss band concerts, open houses, and teacher conferences,” Maria says. “Me and my husband also had to split up to go to our sons’ graduations.”

Maria flew to Connecticut to be with Ramon at his Yale graduation, while Raymond stayed in Palm Beach to attend Orlando’s graduation. The family got together in Connecticut and celebrated with a homemade Puerto Rican meal cooked by Maria's mother who flew in just for the event.

Contact Maria Herrera at 561-478-5570.

Copyright © 2006 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved