Mother-daughter duo set to graduate from nursing school in full circle moment

It’s a full circle moment for mom Tangenicka “Tange” Williams and her daughter Chyna set to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) on Tuesday, April 30. The two are from Laurens, South Carolina. In addition to having similar professional interests, a mutual love of music, and similar personality traits, their June birthdays are only five days apart.

Recalling her time at Greenville Technical College, Tange said that her daughter was present when she received her license as a practical nurse in 1999.  Pointing at an old photo, Tange told USC Upstate, “This day here, let me know that it was only the beginning. We all graduated during Christmas, so we made nurses’ hats for the Christmas tree. My friends took my nursing hat off and they placed it on Chyna’s head. She was 6 months old.” But she knew already, “She’s going to be a nurse like her mom.’”

But growing up, Chyna never saw herself as a nurse, and her mother never pressed her to pursue that professional path since she believed nursing was a gift. However, the younger Williams astonished her mother when she revealed during her senior year of high school that she would follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse.

The proud mother, who came from humble origins, never stops reminding her daughter of the advantages she enjoys as the only child in their family and how different her childhood was from her own.

Even though she had financial difficulties as a child, Tange always wanted to help people. Her own experience with seizures sparked her interest in the medical field, and her god sisters’ nursing backgrounds provided her with a glimpse into the field.

Chyna, who idolizes her mother, voiced her admiration, stating, “I just wanted to be the same way, because I would always run into people saying, ‘Your mom is such a blessing, your mom is such a blessing.’ I’m like, ‘I know. She raised me, and she is my backbone.’”

Tange furthered her studies at Greenville Tech. She completed an associate’s degree and became a registered nurse, or RN, in 2008 while her daughter was in school. By the time her daughter finished her own studies at Greenville Tech in 2023, Tange was already considering returning to school.

Thus, it seemed obvious that the two would embark on the next stage of their academic careers together since Chyna was transferring to USC Upstate. They began the BSN program in 2023.

Both of the Williamses have jobs in geriatrics outside of the classroom: Chyna works night shifts as a nurse, while her mother has 24 years of experience as the assistant director of nursing at NHC HealthCare in Laurens.

“Everyone loves to see us working together because she grew up in the facility as a baby. Now she’s the nurse in the facility,” Tange expressed.

The mother added, “This is a family of two, and this is a family of completion. Whatever we start, we definitely will finish. If we have no one else, we got each other. We started this. We’re going to end this together, hand in hand as they say both of our names, and we’re going to walk down that aisle. And we did it.”