Maria Rios has had a front row seat to all the major milestones in her son Saquan Hampton's life. Among the many moments, she has watched as he was selected in the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints last month and will be there when he earns his degree Sunday at Rutgers commencement.
 
Graduation is an exciting time for students as it culminates their years of hard work and dedication. For a football player, a similar feeling happens on draft night when their name is called and they are selected to an NFL franchise.
 

Next year, Hampton will have the opportunity to take his seat in the front row for mom and share in one of her greatest moments when she too experiences the excitement of being a Rutgers graduate.
 
Rios, a mother of three, is pursuing her bachelor's degree from Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations – the same as her son – and is on track to graduate as a member of the Class of 2020.
 
"It will be like a dream come true for me, for my mother and my other family members," said Rios. "It will be just as exciting for me to walk across that stage and get my bachelor's degree as it was for Saquan to get that call."
 
To make it this far has already been a tremendous accomplishment for Rios, who will be the first of her siblings to earn a college degree. Rios's mother, who grew up in Puerto Rico, advanced as far as the sixth grade. She was forced to drop out of school and help her own mother raise a family of 10.
 
A single mother to Saquan and her two daughters, Charmaine and Shanera, Rios had contemplated completing her college degree in the past, however, motherhood created challenges to that plans.
 
"I had my oldest child at a very young age so I knew that going to college wasn't an option for me," said Rios. "I had to go to work to provide for her. I started community college but I was always unable to complete it because of family factors.
 
"I worked two or three jobs to provide for my kids and one day I had a revelation which was, 'I have to go back to school.' When I signed up, the tuition was expensive, I did not qualify for financial aid so I put it on the back burner again. I said, 'I can't afford it right now, I need to provide for my kids, I will take another route some other time.'"
 
Although Rios was unable to finish her degree before , she never gave up the drive and desire to go back to school and complete what she started. That persistence served as a lesson for her son who was also met with his share of challenges. Hampton battled injuries during his sophomore and junior seasons but persevered to become a senior captain and realize his dream of reaching the NFL.
 
It's a testament to the words he has heard his mother say on countless occasions.
 
"Don't give up," said Hampton. "Anytime I have an issue and I go to her, she always tells me don't give up. Every time I hear anything with regards to 'keep fighting,' 'keep going,' I think of her."
 
"For all of my children, I say to them never give up and always do your best," said Rios. "I never was a follower and I never wanted my kids to be a follower, you're a leader and you lead by example. That's what I instilled in all of my children."
 
Guided by her own principles to keep pushing through, Rios eventually became a licensed home nursing administrator in Pennsylvania where a college degree was not required. But she knew that she wanted to transition and be closer to home in New Jersey which required a college degree to be licensed.
 
With her children at an older age and an employer that would pay for school, Rios returned to Mercer County Community College where she had once earned credits. In 2017, she received her associate's degree but wasn't done there, immediately enrolling at Rutgers.
 
Taking classes at the school where her son was a star football student-athlete took some getting used to for Rios. The pair never shared the same class, but they did have some of the same instructors on a couple occasions.
 
"It was very scary at first because I knew I had to juggle the stress of work, my kids being away at college and my life at home," said Rios. "Empty nester for the first time and going to school with a bunch of millennials, can I keep up with them? But after a while I became classmates with many of them. I even had a classmate that was in high school with my son so she would come sit with me and call me mom. It was scary at first but after a while it became second nature."
 
Hampton was inspired by his mother's effort to re-enroll in classes to achieve a four-year degree.
 
"It showed how willing and determined she is," said Hampton. "If she wants to get something done, she's going to do it. She's always been that way growing up. She may not have had it all but she made sure we were good. It just reflects how she is as a person; she's very determined to accomplish what she wants to."
 
Saturday afternoon of the NFL Draft was a whirlwind of emotions as feelings of anxiety gave way to relief and excitement. A dream was being realized for the entire family in a moment that Hampton described as 'surreal.'
 
Throughout it all, Hampton has always counted on his mom to be there for him, whether she was in the stands cheering or lending an ear to talk.
 
"One of the things we developed, and it was nothing he and I talked about, I always position myself [in the stands] so he's able to see me," said Rios. "Whether it's a home game or an away game, once him and I lock eyes, he knows I'm there and he's okay."
 
Hampton will undoubtedly have many more instances where he's overwhelmed with emotions, some predictable and some unexpected. But one of those moments that he is looking forward to reversing roles and cheering on mom is graduation day in 2020.
 
"It's going to be a great feeling and I can't wait to be there," said Hampton. "She's been there and supported me throughout everything in my life. Being able to watch her walk across the stage, it's going to be a feeling like no other. I'm sure it will be amongst the top memories I'll ever have in my life."