THE HUTCHINSONS

"It's one thing to tell your child that education is important," says Roz Hutchinson of Springfield, Missouri. "It's another to show her." Demonstrating to her daughter that there is more to adult life than work and television was part of Hutchinson's impetus for returning to college six years ago. The move changed the lives of mother and daughter, now ages 42 and 18. "Shannon used to be a walking TV GUIDE, and I wasn't much better," says Hutchinson.

When she returned to school full time, Hutchinson was also working as a drug-abuse counselor. "Something had to give," she says. So she gave up television and combined school and family life, which meant bringing Shannon to class with her in the afternoons and evenings. She spent her free time on weekends studying, reading and going to the campus library. So did Shannon.

Meanwhile, Tom, Shannon's stepfather, assumed many household chores on top of his job as a business manager--another lesson for their daughter. "She was able to see both of us step out of traditional roles," says Hutchinson, "and understand that who does what isn't based on gender, but on need."

Today, Hutchinson, who graduated with honors from Wichita State University, works as a reporter for the SPRINGFIELD NEWS-LEADER in Missouri, and is about to begin a masters program in journalism.

Shannon will be a first-year student at St. Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas, where she has earned scholarships for academics and basketball. She plans to major in history and minor in Spanish, and she has her eye on law school. "Shannon has always followed my lead," says Hutchinson. "When I started doing constructive things for myself, she did, too."

While in high school, Shannon took college-level courses, which enabled her to pick up some advanced research and computer skills. Even more important, her outlook broadened and became more oriented toward learning. "Adolescence is such an immediate and small world," says Hutchinson. "Shannon now sees that the world is a bigger place than her neighborhood and friends."

Shannon and her stepfather now share an avid interest in computers, a tie that has brought them closer, and even given Tom an edge in his career. "It's more Shannon teaching Tom," notes her mother. "Some of the things that she has showed him, he's brought into the office. The teaching really goes both ways."

Hutchinson feels that her daughter's love of education is as important as her academic successes. "I think Shannon will be a lifelong learner, which is even more important than the concept of going to college," she says.

RESOURCES

FAMILY EDUCATION TODAY (20 Park Plaza, Suite 1215, Boston, MA 02116; 800-248-3382) is a free newsletter keyed to working parents (but appropriate for all families) that offers tips on how to participate in your child's education.