Education Shared Mother, 2 Children Will Receive Diplomas Next Month
Independence is in the blood of Beverly Rose and her two children.
Rose has raised her kids alone for the past eight years.
Now her daughter, Kacie Sire, is raising her own child by herself. And Kacie’s brother, Kyle Sire, is moving out on his own this fall to make money so he can pay for school - by himself.
Because of that very independence, the three of them will be doing at least one thing together next month - graduating.
Rose, 46, will get her bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University; Kacie Sire, 21, will get her associate degree from Spokane Falls Community College; and Kyle Sire, 17, will get his diploma from North Central High School.
“It’s kind of strange but it’s also unique to share an education with them.” Rose said. “I hope it inspires them to continue on and get their degrees before they’re grandparents.”
After her husband died in 1989, Rose found that she couldn’t get anything better than minimum wage jobs with her high school education.
In 1990 Rose was invited on a trip to Europe sponsored by Spokane Community College, where she enrolled the following fall.
Rose said visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and a castle in Scotland made a “black and white history come into three-dimensional color.”
In 1993 Rose transferred to EWU. Since then she has learned far more than just what was taught in classrooms.
“I learned to be organized and to balance things. I learned to drink Mountain Dew and eat cookies to stay awake,” Rose said. “I used to have a cleaner house and I’m not home as much anymore, but hopefully that will pay off down the road.”
Rose is one of 20 EWU seniors to receive the Mary Shields Wilson award for excellence in academics and community service.
Aside from earning a 3.7 grade-point average, Rose volunteered for the United Way of Spokane County, the Food Bank and other organizations.
Getting her degree in liberal studies with an emphasis on communication, Rose hopes to attend graduate school to study organizational development.
“I hope I can be an advocate of women to go back to school,” Rose said. “It can be done, little by little. And an education is something you can never lose once you have it. More education means more opportunities.”
At least one single mom hears Rose’s message - her daughter.
Kacie Sire was an honor student at Shadle Park High School, where she finished with a 3.8 grade-point average.
The varsity track and cross country runner even made a dash to Hong Kong for the U.S. High School Track Team, where she met a teammate who eventually became the father of her child.
While attending the University of Washington, she got pregnant in August 1995. A month later the father left.
Sire returned to Spokane.
“I was unsure about what was going to happen in my life and (my mother) had done a good job raising us so I begged her to let me come home for emotional support,” Sire said.
When Sire came home, Rose took a quarter off from EWU because her classes conflicted with Kacie’s Lamaze training. Rose was her coach.
Sire enrolled at SFCC in the fall of 1996, taking a full schedule of classes and working in between books and her baby, Taylor, now 13 months old.
“It’s hard to keep the balance,” Sire said. “Sometimes my homework comes when (Taylor) goes to sleep - if she goes to sleep. I could be up at 2 in the morning writing a paper.”
Inspired by her mother’s own value of education, Sire decided she wants to major in English and minor in math when she enrolls at EWU this fall.
“Being a single mom is not an excuse not to go to school,” she said.
Kyle Sire’s reason for not going directly to college after high school has more to do with taking a break from the classroom.
“I want to get out on my own and make money for school,” said Kyle, who eventually wants to study forestry.
“I need a break,” Kyle said. “And I think paying for school myself will make me value it more because it’s coming out of my own pocket.”
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