Iron sharpens iron: Mother and son graduate with APSU’s Class of 2024

By: Ethan Steinquest December 13, 2024

Above: Graduating business marketing major shakes hands with APSU President Mike Licari. Below: Dr. Deborah Hollingsworth receives her academic hood after earning a doctorate of education from APSU.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

This biblical proverb became the guiding principle for Dr. Deborah Hollingsworth (‘93, ‘95, ‘24) and her son John (‘24) as they pursued their degrees at Austin Peay State University, helping them overcome several challenges to graduate this year.

“We did not plan this at all,” said Deborah, who earned her doctorate of education (Ed.D) last semester and teaches adolescent development at Northeast Middle School. “Things happened along the way, and we both would have graduated a few years ago, but it worked out that our paths came together.”

John graduated on Dec. 13 with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing after unexpectedly switching majors from psychology after two years. He plans to become a sales project manager and eventually a business owner.

“I want to foster change and help the Black community,” he said. “One of the first things I noticed about marketing is that there isn’t really a ceiling because your skills translate across the industry, and I feel like my personality is well-suited to it because I’m welcoming and free-spirited.”

Meanwhile, Deborah had to reframe her dissertation on socioemotional learning after the COVID-19 pandemic kept her from conducting interviews and observations in the local school system.

“Along with dissertation chair and committee changes, my mother passed away in March 2023,” she said. “Dr. Andrea Lee, my dissertation chair, was a godsend because she kept me motivated to write during this difficult time.”

Although these challenges were difficult, the Hollingsworths were confident in the academic choices they made.

“We talked about how important these decisions were for us even though they put us on track to finish later,” she said, adding that their Christian faith helped them stay focused. “God wanted us to go in those directions, and if we were supposed to graduate on time, we would have. We embraced the idea that this was our path.”

Dr. Deborah Hollingsworth and her son John Hollingsworth in commemorative photos taken to mark the beginning and end of their journey in college together.

Learning together

Despite their different academic journeys, the Hollingsworths found comfort in shared experiences and strengthened their bond.

“Growing up with my mom, I always looked to her to provide advice or know the right answer, but supporting each other through college added layers to our relationship,” John said. “She’s my mom, but we can engage as professionals, adults, and friends. I hope one day we can work together as business partners, because she wants to open her own school, and I want to own businesses and make change.”

The family’s commitment to making a difference is clear in Deborah’s educational philosophy, which is based on socioemotional learning. Her long-term goal is to open a school focused on individualized learning and educating the whole child.

“I’m a fan of students who society has told that they can’t make it and there’s too much stacked against them,” she said. “If we focus on helping them find out who they are and teaching them how to problem solve and regulate their emotions, they can catch up in academics.”

The Hollingsworths learned more about themselves while catching up on their own degrees and found themselves on equal footing by graduation.

“It changes the dynamic because I’m not always the person with all the wisdom,” Deborah said. “As parents, we’re always teaching our kids, but John taught me a lot and used the same words I’d say to encourage him when I needed to hear them.”

Guidance and growth

Knowing when to give advice and when to listen was especially important for juggling responsibilities. Deborah’s suggestion to use a planner helped John manage his schedule, but she also learned to let him forge his own path.

“Over five or six years, I’ve been involved in different activities and organizations on campus,” he said. “My mom was part of history here, so she spoke to balancing extracurricular activities with academics and provided me with lessons she learned in hindsight.”

Deborah was part of the Ed.D. program’s first cohort, and as an undergraduate, she was a founding member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in 1992. She was also one of the first students in the President’s Emerging Leaders Program (PELP), and initially encouraged her son to apply for the program as well.

Although he was briefly involved in PELP, John felt more at home with the Govs Programming Council (GPC). He played a major role in establishing GlowChella as the GPC’s Council President.

“A big difference-maker for me was finding a space on campus where I could relate to people, grow, and be myself,” John said. “I met others who were where I wanted to be in terms of maturity and handling situations, and learned a lot from them. Working with student organizations also helped me get more comfortable socially.”

John further developed his skills through internships with Public Relations and Marketing, Sodexo, and Housing & Residence Life. Two of his favorite memories were speaking at Freshman Convocation in Fall 2021 and having a speaking role in a video promoting APSU’s strategic plan in 2022.

“I realized it was important to let my son get involved in his own way instead of projecting what I thought he should do,” Deborah said. “I’m happy he experienced things I didn’t while I was here. He did it his way, and he did very well.”

As the Hollingsworths prepare for their next steps, they remain inspired by one another’s determination and success.

“Watching our journey and how we had to work together, motivate and support each other to see it come to fruition is beautiful,” Deborah said. “It’s like passing the torch to my son, and now it’s his turn.”

Both mother and son also emphasized how their shared values and support system helped them reach the finish line together.

“Our strong faith in God throughout our journey was instrumental in shaping us into who we needed to be,” they said. “We could not have made it without Him and the support from our family and friends. To God be the glory!”