Mother and daughter share milestone moment
For Alexis Fenrich and her mom, Carmen, convocation is more than a celebration of two degrees — it’s the culmination of a team effort powered by love, late-night study sessions, and meaningful financial support that helped them keep going when it mattered most.
The Fenrich family: from left to right are Carmen, Dayna, Alexis, Nate, and Mike.
For the entire Fenrich family, June 2026 will forever be remembered as the month mother and daughter crossed the stage at Thompson Rivers University (TRU).
“We’re happy about getting our degrees but it’s our family who really want to see us both walk across the stage,” says Alexis, adding that they couldn’t have done it without their ongoing support.
Behind the scenes, family support made everything possible for both Carmen and Alexis — and student awards helped ease financial stressors. When Carmen left her job to return to school full-time, her husband Mike became responsible for all the bills, supporting not just one, but at one point three full-time university students — Carmen, Alexis, and their son, Nate, who studied heavy duty mechanics at TRU.
Donor support alleviates stress
“Bills were paid, but there was never anything left at the end of the month,” said Carmen. “Awards and bursaries helped take some pressure off.”
Emergency aid was a turning point for Alexis as well after she was laid off from her job in the middle of a semester. While she knew she could ask her parents for help, she was determined to find a way through the challenge on her own.
“I applied for the Indigenous Incentive Award because I was desperate and scared. When it came through, the relief was immediate. I could make it to the end of the year without borrowing from my parents or taking on debt,” she said. “I’m also thankful the extra support gave me time to learn and focus and put all my energy into doing my best in school.”
Carmen received the BMO Indigenous Health Care Award and Alexis received funding from the Indigenous Incentive Fund (Kecmens te sqlew). They also received support from the Métis Nation of BC.
“Without sponsorships and awards, continuing our education would have been much more difficult,” said Carmen.
TRU allows duo to pursue education close to home
For Alexis, choosing TRU after high school was about maintaining her close connection to her parents and siblings, but her choice of academic path was shaped by her grandparents.
“My grandparents own a fishing charter on Haida Gwaii, and I can confidently say my love for salmon, octopus, whales, thick forests, agates — basically all things ocean-related — stemmed from my experiences there,” she said. “My dream job would be working in fisheries, out in the ocean.”
Carmen’s road to TRU took a little longer and involved several twists and turns, but ever since she left college to prepare for the birth of Alexis, her eldest child, she was determined to return one day.
“As a mother of three and a mature nursing student, my journey hasn’t always been easy, but my passion for making a real difference has kept me moving forward,” said Carmen.
Eventually, she became a classroom education assistant, which allowed her to work around her kids’ school schedules, but she always felt called to pursue a career in health care.
“When I was delivering our youngest, Dayna, I was really inspired by some of the nurses and I thought, if I could go back, that’s what I would do,” Carmen said.
Nine years later, she was accepted into TRU’s nursing program. She started the program thinking she’d complete her degree the same year Alexis graduated high school, but it didn’t work out that way. Thankfully, the extended timeline came with an unexpected blessing — this spring, they will graduate side by side, Carmen with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Alexis with her Bachelor of Natural Resource Science.
“Having my mom not only be my mom and support system, but also my friend throughout the entire process has been fantastic,” Alexis said. “We hung out over many, many cups of coffee and late-night study sessions. At this point, I think I know as much about nursing as she knows about my degree.”
This spring, two degrees will be conferred, but for Carmen and Alexis, the achievement is shared, highlighting their journey of long hours and open textbooks, of encouragement across a kitchen table, and of the recognition that says: your hard work matters.