By Alina Rosenkranz
When sophomore Audrey Fairhurst, an organizational communication major, is in the Library for a Sunday study marathon, she is not alone. Her mother, Remi Smith, who is currently studying at UP to get her IMBA, joins her.
While going to college with your parent may seem strange, both agree that is has been a positive experience.
“There has been nothing negative about it,” Fairhurst said.
Smith added, “It’s not creepy, you know. I know where her dorm is, but I think I’ve been there twice.”
They enjoy getting dinner together on a regular basis and studying together, which often involves “late evening gelato runs” to The Anchor. For Smith, it’s nice to get to know her daughter’s friends through these activities.
“Instead of hearing about the activities she is involved in, I can see them,” Smith said. “And have connections to events.”
They didn’t plan to go to the same university, but are happy about it. Both love theatre and sometimes go and watch plays together.
While both agree that their relationship hasn’t changed much since they began going to college together, Fairhurst finds it helpful to have someone who pushes her to work harder and she believes that her grades have gotten better since she transferred from Eastern Washington University to UP.
“She is really good at keeping me in line with my studies,” Fairhurst said. “Especially during our little study sessions on Sundays.”
The pair are very close. So close, in fact, that Fairhurst became a certified minister to marry her mother and stepfather at their wedding.
“It started out as more of a joke,” Fairhurst said. “Because we were planning their wedding and I was like, “Oh I’ll do it.” And so I got my credentials online and we made it happen.”
Both Smith and Fairhurst are curious if there are other mother-daughter pairs at UP, and would love to get in touch with them if so.
Alina Rosenkranz is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at rosenkra17@up.edu.
