Glad It's All Over Says Graduation Mum

Karen Feldmann of Farmersburg, who graduated with three of her daughters last year, is relieved she won't have to do that again.

Karen was 49 when she graduated as a Certified Nurse's Aid; she took classes in Guttenberg, but was certified through the state at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), in Calmar, June 13, 2006.

Karen's youngest daughter, Katie, 19, graduated from MFL MarMac last year, May 21, 2006; Her eldest daughter, Theresa, 23, graduated from Iowa State University (ISU), in Ames, May 6, also last year; Piling on the stress with not one young graduate but three, her daughter Holly, 21, graduated on May 13, 2006, from Kirkwood College, Cedar Rapids.

With a house reaching high crescendo point last year, it is no surprise that Karen is glad it is all over.

"Last year was stressful because we all graduated at the same time, it came up fast and then it was over quickly because of all the excitement over the achievements they have accomplished," Karen said. "It is more relaxing this year, the girls are gone, I've got an empty household, but I have the dogs," Karen added.

Karen's dogs, Josie and Jagger, a Maltese and a Shiatsu, her furry companions, sit by their kennels these days knowing Karen has to leave for work when they see her put on her uniform.

Karen works at Great River Care Center, McGregor, as a Nurse's Aid and her husband, Alan, is the plaster foreman at Design Homes, Prairie du Chien.

Alan raises stock cows as a hobby and helps neighbors farm their land. Karen used to work on a pig farm. She decided that before she was fifty she would do something different with her life. Her mother was a Registered Nurse and she wanted to emulate her.

"I enjoy working with the elderly, I enjoy touching their lives - some people don't have anyone in their lives," Karen explained. "This is going to be a long term job for me," she added.

Karen has had the opportunity to further her career but has decided that it is too much studying.

"It was hard for me to put my head back in the books after 30 years, but my girls told me that I had made them study so they said that I had to study too - they were very encouraging," Karen said.