At 50, Tanya Locklear is fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a college graduate. Locklear overcame years of adversity, personal challenges and significant health issues to arrive at UNC Pembroke Winter Commencement.
As icing on the cake, Locklear will share the stage with her son and one of her biggest supporters, Colby Locklear, who’ll be dressed in a matching cap and gown.
“I am so proud of her and her hard work to achieve this milestone,” Colby Locklear said. “Hearing both of our names being called will be very emotional, especially for all she has gone through.”
Tanya Locklear has battled chronic health issues, including two major heart attacks since 2012. She lost her home during the devasting floods in Robeson County during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Her family lived out of a hotel for six months. Three years later, Tanya suffered a second heart attack, forcing doctors to place two stents in her left main coronary artery, known as the widow maker.
“It’s been one battle after another, but every stumbling block that stood in my way helped build steps to get me closer to my dream,” she said. “And what an honor to walk the stage with my son. To share in this milestone with him means everything to me. The struggles, the tears and the memories we shared will last a lifetime.”
The mother-and-son pair from Lumberton will be among approximately 983 students who will be awarded degrees on December 8 and 9. Another familiar face in the Locklear family––Tanya’s younger sister, Davita Jacobs––will earn a master’s degree in elementary education.
The Graduate School ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday at Givens Performing Arts Center. The undergraduate ceremony will be held at the English E. Jones Center on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed and available for viewing here.
Tanya plans to leverage her sociology degree to transition into the mental health field. Her son will earn a degree in environmental biology with plans to work for a governmental agency specializing in forensics.
She considered pushing her graduation to the spring to keep from overshadowing her son’s shining moment, but Colby wouldn’t hear of it.
“This will truly be an achievement for us both,” he said. “Throughout my life, she has worked to take care of us, and now she’s taking the time to do something for herself, so it’s going to mean the world to me to see her achieve this milestone.”
