Mother, son to graduate together at SMU
After two years as classmates, the pair will share a once-in-a-lifetime graduation moment.
When Melissa Escher walks across the stage May 16 to receive her SMU diploma, she’ll be the second in her family to graduate that day. She’ll follow just one step behind her son, Jordan, sharing a milestone years in the making.
Melissa came to SMU in August of 2023, encouraged by her children to fulfill a longtime dream—finish the sociology degree she started in 2013. Jordan transferred to SMU in January of 2024 to finish the degree he started at another school.
In their two years on campus together, the pair shared more than a major. They had the same advisor, took two classes side by side and had many of the same friends, even meeting for lunch between lectures.
“I was a single mom for a long time,” Melissa says. “That led to deep and open relationships with Jordan and my daughter. But going to class with Jordan gave me a different perspective of him.”
In turn, as Jordan considers post-graduation opportunities outside of Dallas, he’s glad he’s had this time with his mom.
“I realized once I was at SMU that I may not have another time like this with my mom,” Jordan says. “It worked out the way it was supposed to.”
Melissa, age 48, balanced working full-time at a marketing agency with a full load of classes, embracing life as a non-traditional student. She made friends with fellow students who helped her with technology and included her in their lives. She became a second mother to at least one.
Jordan found a group of friends that overlapped with his mom’s friends.
“The smaller classes and smaller community made it easy to get to know everyone,” he says.
Melissa and Jordan were the first parent-child combo Debra Branch has taught in her 27-year academic career. The sociology senior lecturer’s Environmental Justice class was one of their favorites.
“Melissa and Jordan have a fun, laid-back relationship,” Branch says. “Other students looked at Melissa as sort of a ‘cool class mom.’ I often saw her mentoring classmates. They looked to her for advice and as a class spokesperson.”
Despite her 13-year journey to earn her degree, Melissa waited a semester to receive her diploma so she can graduate with her son. She doesn’t mind that Jordan will receive his degree first.
That’s just what moms do.