“I wanted to get away from the generation of my family being uneducated to being educated,” she told FOX5 Atlanta. “Because being educated can give you opportunities in life. It makes the road that much easier. It gives you options you don’t even know of until you go.”

Her parents stopped their education after elementary school, and Stowers ensured her three children pursued a higher education.

“I think the background of my mom’s story is so unique, just with her going from a wife with three kids and going from my dad dying and her being left with a 12-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 3-year-old at that point in time and still not giving up,” Stowers’ daughter Maya said.

Her children said she had to learn statistics — something most may be weary of.

“I think that a lot of people are actually afraid to try, and she doesn’t have that,” her daughter Sasha said.

The recent graduate hopes to use her degree to teach children art. She says completing her degree doesn’t mean she is done learning.

Even though she’s earned her degree in art education, Gloria says she’s nowhere near done learning or growing.

“That’s instilled in me today,” she said. “I still got many more things I want to do. I’m so excited for life.”