It was an emotional ceremony for a mother and her daughters as they celebrated their graduation on the same day in a full-circle moment.
The family of four are all graduates of Georgia State University (GSU). 53-year-old Quila Lee holds a master’s degree in public administration, like her oldest daughter, Rakiya. Quila recalled holding her twin daughters, Kamiya and Kalaya, in her arms during that graduation at Kentucky State in 2003. Rakiya was then 9 years old.
On May 7 this year, she received her second master’s, a Master of Arts in Teaching. She told 11 Alive, “I remember the day that they were born, and I remember them being a part of my graduation, and now I get to be a part of theirs.”
Quila is currently a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Babb Middle School in Clayton County. As a substitute teacher, she realized her passion for education and later earned her teaching certification. Now, in her new role, she finds immense satisfaction in shaping the lives of young people during their formative years.
Rakiya, the family’s oldest daughter, walked across the stage on May 7 to receive her second degree from Georgia State: a Master of Public Administration. Rakiya, now 31, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from GSU in 2017 and has since worked her way up in the city’s Department of Watershed Management.
Recently promoted to project manager, she saw firsthand the transformation of Georgia State’s downtown campus and was thrilled to see her younger sisters, Kamiya and Kalaya, follow in her footsteps by transferring to GSU.
“I think my mom is the best. I think she’s a great role model,” Kamiya said. “And I thank God that he gave me my mom… and allowed me to have somebody like her to look up to and to aspire to be like.”
The twins, Kamiya and Kalaya, both 22, were initially enrolled at Alabama State, but the pandemic caused restrictions that limited their campus experience. The desire for a better college experience closer to home led them to Georgia State, where they thrived both academically and socially.
Rakiya expressed how surreal it was to have her sisters in the same school with her and how much more surprising it was when she realized they would graduate at the same time.
For the twins, graduation from Georgia State marked a significant achievement as well. They both received bachelor’s degrees in biology.
Kamiya has already volunteered at Wellstar Cobb Hospital in various departments, including the emergency room and neonatal intensive care unit, experiences that will prove invaluable as she prepares to apply to medical school.
“I wanted to be at a place that would challenge my thinking and help me grow,” Kalaya said, explaining their decision to transfer to Georgia State after spending time at Alabama State University.
When Quila earned her first master’s degree in 2003, her three daughters were infants.
“Twenty-two years ago, you never could have told me these girls and I would be graduating together,” Quila reflected. “As any mother would be, I am so proud of them.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be like that; none of this was planned,” Kamiya added.
For the future, Quila is considering doctoral programs; Rakiya is contemplating a Ph.D. or law school; and Kamiya is preparing for medical school after working as a pharmacy technician. Kalaya, too, has big dreams of working in veterinary medicine.
Quila remarked, “I’m super proud, I’m super happy.”
She advised, “Don’t let age or anything else be a deterrent. If it’s something that you want to do, pursue it.”
