Two McLouth High School seniors and their mothers are graduating — the sons from McLouth High School and the mothers from Emporia State University with master’s degrees. From left are Janna Terry and son Skyler Terry, and Jarrod Bechard and mother Vicki Bechard.

Vicki Bechard and Janna Terry didn’t dine on the typical college student fare of ramen noodles when they were attending college nearly a year ago at Emporia State University.

It was summer, Terry jokingly pointed out, and the best friends instead had plenty of $5 footlongs at Subway — half for lunch and half for the evening meal.

The McLouth residents weren’t fresh out of high school when they were taking on-campus courses — but their sons soon will be.

Bechard and Terry are teachers in the McLouth school district and together just finished a two-year journey, earning identical master’s degrees in academic administration.

Their sons, Jarrod Bechard and Skyler Terry, meanwhile, will be receiving their diplomas from McLouth High School today.

That poses a slight problem — Emporia State’s commencement exercises are today as well.

“You know they’re going to have graduation the same time we do,” Vicki said, recalling an earlier conversation with Janna. “Being the nice mothers that we are, we said, ‘All right, we’ll watch your graduation.'”

She was joking, of course — she wouldn’t miss her son’s graduation for the world.

So Skyler and Jarrod and the rest of their families joined Vicki and Janna for a Phi Kappa Phi induction on Friday in Emporia. Phi Kappa Phi is an academic honor society.

“That’s going to be our quote unquote graduation,” Vicki said.

Sharing the spotlight

Jarrod joked that he’s not had a graduation weekend to himself.

“It’s kind of funny because I’ve never had a graduation by myself,” he said. “When I had eighth-grade promotion, my sister graduated from college, so I’ve always shared the spotlight. But it’s pretty cool that they got their master’s.”

Like his mother and sister, Kristen, Jarrod will attend Kansas State University for his undergraduate studies; he’ll major in biochemistry.

Best pal Skyler, whom Jarrod has known since preschool, said he was impressed his mother attained her goal of earning a master’s degree.

“I’m glad she’s doing it and did it, so, go Emporia State,” he said.

Skyler, who plans to either attend Kansas City Kansas Community College and major in fire science or join the military, admitted senioritis has been setting in for the past month, but looks to his mother’s accomplishment for inspiration.

“I keep in the back of my head you should go as far as you can go,” he said. “It will help you in the long run.”

Jarrod mentioned a term paper he wasn’t especially looking forward to during the final stretch of his high school career.

And then his mother reminded him she had term papers to write as well.

“You kind of go through the same things, you know?” Jarrod said.

Later today, Jarrod and Skyler will be part of a larger group of classmates having a reception at the McLouth Threshing Bee Grounds.

And at one of the tables, Vicki and Janna will have a graduation cake for their accomplishments.

Janna said she was overwhelmed by the amount of work required to complete the degree.

“Now I have nothing to do,” Janna said. “My son’s about to graduate. I’m out of things to do. I don’t know how to behave because in some ways it’s two years of going 100 miles per hour.”