When Whanganui woman Andrea Thornton graduated recently, she had a very special person walking with her across the stage - her daughter, Hannah Ratcliffe.
The two women have graduated from Massey University with Master of Nursing degrees.
Mrs Thornton has worked for the Whanganui District Health Board as a cancer nurse co-ordinator for three years, and before that worked in primary care.
Ms Ratcliffe is based in Palmerston North, and has been a nurse for five years.
She worked at Christchurch Men's Prison for a year but moved back to the North Island following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.