Four siblings graduate from same school on same day

It's not as rare as a Halley's comet, but it's close: Four kids from the same family all donned graduation robes and received their college diplomas on the same stage on the same day.

The siblings -- Daniel Guzman, 35, Michelle Guzman, 33, Michael Guzman, 29, and David Guzman, 31 -- all graduated Saturday from Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Va.

They credit their mother as their inspiration. Just months before graduating high school, Geri Guzman learned she was pregnant with her first child and had to leave school. With encouragement from her family, she earned her GED in 2010 and even won a scholarship to TCC. She graduated from the school in 2014.

"They pushed me and said I could do it," Geri Guzman told USA TODAY College. "I realized I am somebody and I do have the knowledge."

“Seeing her walk across the stage was amazing,” recalled Michelle Guzman. “After watching her do her studies and seeing how dedicated she was, I wanted more for myself."

Bringing things full circle, the siblings own children got to experience their parents' graduation as well.

“I wanted my kids to see that you don’t give up,” Michelle said. “It’s never too late to turn your life around.”

The Guzman graduates aren’t stopping here. Two are continuing their studies at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and two plan to continue their associate degrees in their respective fields.

And there's more: Fifth sibling Bobbie Guzman Healey is set to graduate in in May, also from Tidewater.

It’s the first time a school has seen so many graduates from the same family in one day since 2001, when four siblings graduated from Brigham Young University, according to a release from TCC.

Brooke Metz is a student at Wake Forest University and a USA TODAY College web producer.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.