A family bond made stronger in the wake of tragedy led two moms to earn matching master’s degrees at UW-Parkside.
Sisters-in-law Jodi Belongia and Gretchen Conley walked across the stage, one right after the other, at the school’s commencement ceremony Saturday morning, sharing a moment that was hard earned.
“There were definitely times where we thought ‘what did we do this for?’ but usually a quick text or a quick pep talk, and we were able to pull ourselves up,” Conley said.
The pair told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin their journey to the stage was unlike most. It was born from tragedy.
“To have a milestone that my son is not a part of is very difficult,” Belongia said through tears, “but I know he’s here in spirit.”
In October 2021, Belongia’s 18-year-old son Dominic died by suicide. Four days later Conley’s 9-year-old Roman had the entire left side of his body crushed in an ATV accident.
“For a really long time there just felt like there was so much grief surrounding Jodi and I,” Conley said. “We wanted to have something else.’
That something was fulfilling a long-time dream in higher education. For almost two years the pair took every class together, spoke daily and pushed each other to succeed.
“I couldn’t imagine doing this without her,” Belongia said. “It was nice to have somebody that close to you understand and knowing what you are dealing with.”
They also said the support of their families and faith were crucial in helping them make it to graduation day. Family described the pair as resilient and hard-working.
Conley and Belongia said they plan to continue building off their bond and hard work by continuing to advocate for mental health through a foundation in Dominic’s name.
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