When many of us are young, we want to be exactly like our parents. No matter what job our moms and dads do, to us, it always seems like the coolest thing in the world.

It’s common for children with the same academic abilities and interests as their parents to work in the same field when they grow up. But the reverse of this case can sometimes happen, too – when the parent discovers that they’d love to follow their child’s dreams after years in a job that isn’t right for them.

Cynthia Kudji is a mom who knew that she wanted to be a doctor from an early age. But when she gave birth to her daughter, Jasmine, she wasn’t sure that she’d have the time to pursue her passion. So she settled for being a nurse – the next best thing.

Then Jasmine grew up, and Cynthia learned that her daughter had a passion for the medical field, too. Jasmine planned to go to medical school to continue her studies to become a doctor. Cynthia’s immediate thought was that she should follow suit.

While both women were accepted into med schools, they wouldn’t be attending the same one. Inspire More noted that:

“Jasmine attended LSU School of Medicine in Louisiana, while Cynthia studied at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St. Kitts, finishing her degree at the Maine campus.”

Having always been incredibly close, it wasn’t easy for the pair to be separated for so long. Luckily, they were able to figure out a way to communicate, which helped them to get through their courses and graduate at the same time.

Speaking to UMHS, Jasmine said:

“I think initially it was difficult because my mom and I have always been really close so I had to get used to the distance, we had to learn how to FaceTime and Skype each other, so we were Skyping each other every day and whenever I had struggles and she had struggles, we just had to learn to communicate from a distance, but I think over time we figured it out.”

Let’s face it – nothing about med school is easy, so having each other as support was probably what helped Jasmine and Cynthia to get through those more difficult days.

Jasmine continued:

“I always tell people we laugh together, we study together, we cry together. I think medical school is one of those experiences that you don’t truly understand until you’re in it. Sometimes people struggle to find someone who relates to their struggles, so for that person to be my mom was extremely helpful.”

And the pair would eventually be reunited, as they recently found out that they would both be attending LSU Health to complete their residency! As it turns out, this gives them a couple of unique titles: the first mother-daughter duo to graduate from med school at the same time, and the first mother-daughter duo to be matched at the same hospital.

This story has an important message: it’s never too late. Cynthia put her career ambitions on hold to raise her daughter, but she was still able to achieve her dreams at a later stage in life. She simply did things differently to her peers.

Providing you have the discipline, ambition and strive to follow your goals, anything is possible, no matter how young or old you may be.

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Source: Shareably, Inspire More, UMHS