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YOUNGSTOWN -- In the 1960s sitcom "Family Affair," several characters go through a series of trials, tribulations and divergent challenges before moving into a New York City apartment and becoming a close-knit family.
Perhaps in some ways, a modern version of the show has played out with Kelley Harnett and her son, Noah.
"I'm done with homework," the younger Harnett said, citing one of his key challenges as a Youngstown State University student.
After having undergone that and a few other challenges, this close-knit mother and son were among the estimated 1,600 YSU graduates and undergraduates who took home degrees after Saturday's spring commencement at Stambaugh Stadium.
Kelley Harnett, of Orangeville, began working at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren in 1997 and became a nurse in 2003. Her decision to earn a master's degree in nursing was fueled by a desire to take "patient care to the next level," meaning intervention radiology, she said.
For his part, Noah Harnett, a 2018 Brookfield High School graduate who's a maintenance worker at Mosquito Lake with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, took home a bachelor's degree in environmental science.
Harnett, who lives in Hartford and had spent a semester at Kent State University Ashtabula, said the proudest aspect of his time at YSU was conducting research on water quality analysis.
Also wanting to advance her nursing career was Michelle Lombardi of Warren, whose cap contained a phrase that echoed Mahatma Gandhi: "Be the change in the world."
"It's been a long journey," the 30-year nurse said. "I was going step by step; one step at a time and you can make a difference."
Suffice it to say that she took a significant step via earning a master's degree that was the culmination of a desire to continue learning and growing in the field, explained Lombardi, a medical evacuation registered nurse.
The "family affair" idea coursed through Lombardi's YSU experiences, because she and five other close friends and co-workers decided to attend the university at the same time.
Lombardi also intends to spend several weeks this summer studying for a board exam, she continued.
For about 18 months, Paige Gorley's plate was filled with the full-time duties of being a wife, student, mother and nurse, as she studied virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. It all came together, however, with a master's degree in adult geriatric acute care nurse practitioner.
"I began when my son was 5 months old, now he's 2," said Gorley, who recently moved to Savannah, Ga., from Howland.
The only exception to her online coursework was performing clinical hours, recalled Gorley, an intensive-care nurse in Savannah whose desire to pursue her degree was borne of a wish to set a positive example for her young son by demonstrating that "if you set your mind to something, you can do it."
Delivering the commencement address was Ellen Tressel, wife of former YSU President Jim Tressel.
"You are the next difference makers in northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and throughout the land," Ellen Tressel told the grads, adding that she was among the 11 family members to have graduated from YSU.
Tressel, who earned a degree in business administration, talked about her father, a former YSU board member who chaired a committee to raise money to build Stambaugh Stadium. While a YSU student, she also worked for his business, Youngstown Welding and Engineering Co., she recalled.
Tressel said that how the grads perceive others and grow as individuals are pivotal to their success. She added that they don't need star athletes, performers or others of fame to derive inspiration.
"Great people make you feel great too," she continued.
After her presentation, Tressel had an honorary Doctor of Business degree bestowed upon her.
Giving the student reflection was Elizabeth Brassell, who earned a bachelor's degree in social work.
Brassell, who has cerebral palsy, reflected on her determination to overcome being reminded of limitations others placed on her, as well as some people's focus on her differences instead of her talents.
Brassell advised her fellow grads to realize small steps often result in big dreams being fulfilled, refrain from lamenting about what wasn't achieved, concentrate on finding their purpose, focus on carving out their paths in life and stay true to who they are.
"Embrace the 'can-dos' in your life," she said to a standing ovation.
Also during the ceremony, interim President Helen Lafferty conferred a bachelor's degree posthumously on the late Abbey Lipinsky, who had made the dean's list and whose parents accepted the degree.
Lafferty also asked student veterans and those in the audience to stand and be recognized.