Mom, son to graduate from TCU on Mother's Day weekend

FORT WORTH, Texas - A mother and son will both cross the stage at TCU's graduation ceremony this Mother's Day weekend.

The two say they shared late-night study sessions and strengthened their mother-son bond while chasing their graduation dream.

The graduates

TCU MBA candidate Brandi Fields is ready for the big moment, and her son, Kyle Fields, is earning his masters in liberal arts. 

Meet Brandi:

The family's unique story began in southern California, where Brandi and her husband, a retired Los Angeles Police Department police officer, raised Kyle and his younger brother, until Kyle went off to college.

Brandi says she decided to move her family to Fort Worth for accessibility to the campus, among other family reasons. 

Meet Kyle:

Kyle fell in love with the TCU campus after his first visit, he told FOX 4, and while he did tour others, he says none quite reached the mark made by the Fort Worth school. He also admits to being a bit of a homebody, and wanted to stay near his family.

Once the family settled in after their move from California, Kyle earned his undergraduate degree in just three years.

Now, in addition to earning his masters, Kyle works as a graduate assistant and athletics equipment manager for the school.

Plans for post-graduation

What they're saying:

Kyle hopes to use his new degree to continue the work he's done at the campus he loves.

"I want to take whatever here and use it. I’d like to do something sports-adjacent," Kyle said. "Sports has always been a big part of my life since I can remember."

Brandi says she's grateful for the opportunity she had to work alongside her son to further their education - including study nights and mother-son tailgating. 

"All the stars aligned perfectly for us and our family," said Brandi. "Graduate degree, mother and son, Mother’s Day, graduate programs, graduating together."

As for the origins of their new lives, Brandi recalls personal reasons for the move.

"We decided to move to Fort Worth for a bunch of reasons," Brandi said. "It was time for my husband to retire and to be near his family. I had lost my mother due to COVID."

The fun part

As a small celebration of their shared day of an important walk, Brandi and Kyle are planning to make the trek in matching pairs of shoes. Brandi says she's confident she can "rock" the look.

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