Brenda dropped out of college due to a high-risk pregnancy and, years later, she achieved her long-awaited diploma alongside her twin daughters.

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 17/06/2026 at 14:43

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Brenda Arreola, 50 years old, and her twin daughters Daena and Danae, 27, completed a bachelor’s degree at Palo Alto College, years after graduating together in a technical course

The family graduation marked a new stage for Brenda Arreola, 50, and her twin daughters, Daena Arreola-Sanchez and Danae, 27. On May 20, the three completed their bachelor’s degree in applied technology management at Palo Alto College in Texas, repeating a milestone they had already achieved together in 2018.

Mother graduates alongside daughters — Image: Illustration

Family diploma repeated 2018 achievement

Brenda, Daena, and Danae received their diplomas from the same institution where, years earlier, they had completed technical level courses.

The new degree was in applied technology management, in a program that allowed them to balance work and studies.

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Brenda had left school due to high-risk pregnancy

For Brenda Arreola, the graduation held special significance. She had left San Antonio school in 1998 due to a high-risk pregnancy with twins, despite her dream of graduating and becoming a lawyer.

After that, she dedicated herself to raising her daughters, even homeschooling them. Later, when Daena and Danae were teenagers, the three opened Breezy Winds Cakery, the family bakery business.

Brenda shared that when her daughters were 16, she realized they were ready to go to college.

Even without knowing exactly what they wanted to pursue, she encouraged them to complete their basic education.

Daughters encouraged their mother to return to college in pursuit of a diploma

The encouragement, later, came in the opposite direction. Daena and Danae reminded their mother that she hadn’t finished her studies and invited her to return with them. Brenda said she asked if her daughters really thought she could do it.

Their response was supportive. In 2018, the trio graduated from Palo Alto College with technical level diplomas.

About a year and a half ago, Daena introduced her mother to the bachelor’s program, which offered flexibility to work and study at the same time.

Brenda, who now works in a school district, said she feels grateful for her daughters’ motivation. She also stated that there were many times she thought about giving up.

Next plans include certificate and master’s degree

Even after the new graduation, Brenda, Daena, and Danae say they have not ended their learning plans. Brenda hopes to obtain a teaching certificate.

Danae intends to use what she learned in the family bakery and, in the future, would like to pursue a master’s degree. Daena is also considering going for a postgraduate degree and said she takes her maternal grandmother’s teaching seriously: “You can never have too much education.”

Brenda recalled that her mother only had incomplete elementary education and did not have the opportunity to attend college.

Reflecting on her own journey with her daughters, she said she is happy they have managed to achieve this accomplishment now.

This article was prepared based on information from PEOPLE magazine, with data, numbers, and statements preserved as per the consulted material.

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Brenda dropped out of college due to a high-risk pregnancy and, years later, she achieved her long-awaited diploma alongside her twin daughters.

Brenda Arreola, 50 years old, and her twin daughters Daena and Danae, 27, completed a bachelor’s degree at Palo Alto College, years after graduating together in a technical course

Family diploma repeated 2018 achievement

Brenda had left school due to high-risk pregnancy

Daughters encouraged their mother to return to college in pursuit of a diploma

Next plans include certificate and master’s degree

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Brenda dropped out of college due to a high-risk pregnancy and, years later, she achieved her long-awaited diploma alongside her twin daughters.

Brenda Arreola, 50 years old, and her twin daughters Daena and Danae, 27, completed a bachelor’s degree at Palo Alto College, years after graduating together in a technical course

Family diploma repeated 2018 achievement

Brenda had left school due to high-risk pregnancy

Daughters encouraged their mother to return to college in pursuit of a diploma

Next plans include certificate and master’s degree

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

The river that “dies” in the desert never reaches the sea and yet gives life to one of Africa’s largest natural refuges in a truly impressive way.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Toyota launches “family hybrid van” with 7 or 8 seats, 1.8 hybrid engine, fuel consumption of up to 23.8 km/l, and a price equivalent to about R$ 104,000 without taxes, below the Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid sold in Brazil: meet the Noah Hybrid 2026 in Japan.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

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Science still cannot explain how an autistic person flies over a city for a few minutes and then draws every window from memory, without making a single mistake on any street.

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