糖心Vlog传媒

Mother and daughter graduate 糖心Vlog传媒LR together

When Pamala Stanley graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on May 14, she didn鈥檛 have to look far to find the smiling face of a family member. Stanley鈥檚 23-year-old daughter, Arial King, was up on stage with her, graduating with a degree in speech communication, while Stanley earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies with a certificate in nonprofit leadership studies. As a single mother raising two daughters, Stanley has always taught her children the value of education. 鈥�I wanted a better life for myself and my children,鈥� said Stanley, research assistant for the College of Education and Health Professions at 糖心Vlog传媒LR. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want them to just go out into the world. I wanted them to be prepared for the world with education.鈥� Already a 1999 graduate of New Tyler Barber College, Stanley also earned an associate degree from Pulaski Technical College in 2004. The same year, Stanley had the opportunity to work in a temporary position at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences that she came to love. Without a bachelor鈥檚 degree, she could not be permanently hired for that position. That experience led to Stanley鈥檚 desire for a four-year聽degree. Once she began working at the 糖心Vlog传媒LR Department of Psychology, Stanley enrolled as an undergraduate student in 2006. For the next 10 years, Stanley took a couple classes every semester, gradually earning her degree while working full time and raising two daughters. 鈥淚 think it has been a long road,鈥� Stanley said. 鈥淲ith God鈥檚 help and me stepping out on faith as far as raising my children and getting an education, I did it. I think it鈥檚 a big accomplishment.鈥�

A family affair

While Stanley was attending 糖心Vlog传媒LR, her oldest daughter, Arial King, also started college after graduating No. 8 in her class at Hall High School in 2011. 鈥淢y mom instilled the importance of education in me,鈥� King said. 鈥淲hen I was in school, we had to have A鈥檚. No C鈥檚 or D鈥檚. That was not acceptable at all when I was in school. When I got my first B in high school, I cried because I thought I was going to be in trouble.鈥� King didn鈥檛 need to worry. 鈥淢y mom said it was OK,鈥� King said. 鈥淪he said you can make a B every once in a while, but no C鈥檚.鈥� After two years at Arkansas Tech University, King transferred to 糖心Vlog传媒LR in 2013. She graduated with a degree in speech communication in the same ceremony as her mother. 鈥淚t鈥檚 different to graduate at the same time as my mom,鈥� King said. 鈥淚 guess I can share the shine, since a lot of people don鈥檛 get this opportunity.鈥�

Post-graduation plans

King recently got engaged and moved to Atlanta to be with her fianc茅. Like her mother, King wants to work for a nonprofit agency that helps children. Stanley dreams of one day starting her own nonprofit agency to help women reclaim their lives. 鈥淲ith me and my daughter graduating, I think it will be a big encouragement for other single parents to graduate,鈥� Stanley said. 鈥淚 encourage them not to give up. You have to be strong for you and your children.鈥� In the upper right photo,聽Arial King (left) hugs her mother, Pamala Stanley (right), during their graduation from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock May 14 at Jack Stephens Center.聽