First Commencement, Then Babies—Two Expectant Moms Celebrate Mother’s Day by Graduating

May 8, 2005 — Brookville, NY — Expectant moms Holly Toguchi (due June 29) and Colleen Vidulich (due May 20) hope their babies will delay their arrival until after their graduation ceremony at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University on Sunday, May 8.

For both first-time moms, balancing work, school and morning sickness wasn’t easy. Oyster Bay resident Holly, 29, was extremely ill for five months. Still, she couldn’t focus on her queasiness – especially because in August 2004 a car hit her husband, Anthony, while he rode his bicycle. He suffered a concussion and back, neck, shoulder, and knee injuries, and couldn’t leave his home, except for treatment, for three months. “I continued to work while student- teaching and taking care of Anthony,” said Holly. “It wasn’t easy. But I really loved what I was doing and that kept me going.” 

In Fall 2004, Holly completed her last semester of student-teaching and finished her program in January 2005 with a 4.0 GPA. Anthony, also a student at C.W. Post, completed his coursework that spring, and both will walk during the commencement ceremonies. “The graduation pictures will be a nice thing to show our child,” said Holly, who expects a baby girl and will receive her Master’s degree in Childhood Education. Her husband will earn his M.B.A.

Bayside resident Colleen Vidulich, 34, also found keeping up with studies a challenge. “In the beginning of the pregnancy you’re so tired and all you want to do is sleep,” she said. “So it was hard to focus on my classes.” She also had to drop out of a winter class when she was hospitalized with a viral infection in her intestines.

Still, with the support of her husband, Albert, Colleen continued taking classes (even becoming a member of the Criminal Justice Honor Society), balancing them with an internship that had her visiting the Central Islip Federal Court Building a few days a week as of January 2005 to work in pre-trial services. Here she sat in on interviews for bail and bond issues and helped with administrative duties. “I like the follow-up and the interaction with the people, and I’m always interested in what they’re brought in for,” she said. “I anticipate working in this field after the baby is born,” said Colleen, who will receive a B.A. in criminal justice, “but I want to enjoy new parenthood for as long as I can, so I’m not sure when the field work will begin.”  

Holly Toguchi and Colleen Vidulich are amongmore than 2,200 students who will don their caps and gowns on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2005 for the 47th annual commencement exercises of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. The Campus has awarded more than 90,000 degrees in its 50-year history, through a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs.