GALESBURG — Andrea Miner is hardly a newcomer when it comes to graduating from college.
She already has an associate degree in early childhood development, studied accounting for a year and even has a bachelor’s in business administration. But when Miner walks across the stage to receive the diploma for her Associate in Applied Science in Mortuary Science at Carl Sandburg College’s 54th annual Commencement on Wednesday, this one will feel different than the others.
“This is a really big accomplishment,” said Miner, 50, of Peoria. “I think it’s because it's always been something that I really wanted to do, and I'm actually making it happen.”
Miner’s fascination with the funeral service industry began when she was just 5 years old. Her grandfather, William Givens, worked for a funeral home in Peoria, and Miner and her younger brother would often join him there and on errands he’d run for work. She has memories of tagging along as he made trips to a vault in Pekin, dropped off obituaries at the Journal Star and picked up orders at floral shops.
“It was always an interest to me,” Miner said. “I learned that death wasn't anything to be afraid of. It was there right in front of me, so I learned to adapt to it.”
Yet when it came time to find a career, she went in other directions that also sparked her interest. She worked in daycare for more than 20 years and spent time in the health care field. It wasn’t until after she married her husband Charles about eight years ago that she considered going to school for mortuary science.
“He just really encouraged me,” Miner said. “He's like, ‘You should really pursue that. I'll help you get through it.’ So here I am.”
Miner enrolled in Sandburg’s mortuary science program in 2015 and completed the first year before taking a pause. She came back in the fall of 2021, again at her husband’s urging.
“If it wasn't for him, I may not have followed through to make this dream come true,” Miner said. “He was pushing me. ‘You need to go back and finish that second year.’ And he said, ‘You know what? With the pandemic going on, this might be a great time to get back in.’ So I reached out.”
Despite being the oldest student in the program (“Even older than one of the instructors,” she noted), Miner proved to herself and others that dreams don’t have an expiration date. She anticipates that hearing her name called at graduation will include some jitters, a few tears and a big sigh of relief.
“I finally made it,” Miner said. “It's kind of a ‘wow’ moment that it’s actually here and I've completed it. I just look forward to passing the board exams, and hopefully I'll be able to have a place of my own to call a funeral home and crematory. I've got big dreams to follow.”
Andrea Miner