By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: May 7, 2008

STAFFORD — Life has been anything but average for a Stafford woman who has spent seven years in the U.S. Army, nearly 10 years in college and has undergone 39 radiation treatments to fight inoperable brain cancer.

Tina Babin is a full-time mom and a manager at a federal government contractor. She has a husband, and two teenage daughters who say they enjoy being with their mom when they can — that is when she’s not working on her second master’s degree.

Babin is working toward a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Mary Washington’s College of Professional Studies in south Stafford. She will graduate Saturday in front of her family, with the nearly 1,200 students who will be graduating from the university with her.

A humble Babin said she was poor as a child, and never thought that she would have the opportunity to go to school. Once she did, she jumped at the chance and paid for it all herself.

“I’ve always believed in a well-rounded education,” said Babin. “I don’t think you can ever stop learning.”

She says it is that attitude that keeps her going, and shows her kids that a college education is something they cannot live without.
“The kids see college as not something you need to do or you want to do; they see going to college as something they have to do — to get their master’s degree like mom,” said Babin.

Babin’s educational pursuit stopped; however, last summer, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. After complaining of double vision, doctors learned her disease was inoperable.

Babin underwent 39 radiation treatments to treat the disease last year — the most treatments doctors say the brain can physically handle.

Since then the cancer growth has slowed, and though she has lost vision in her left eye, her doctors say that she will “live for a foreseeable future.”

“Even though things aren’t always exactly the way you want them to be in your life, you carry on,” Babin recently told an official at The University of Mary Washington.

To carry on is something that definitely lies in Babin’s plans, as she looks to spend more time with her family and advance her career.

Babin’s daughter Melissa, 10, said she thinks what her mom is doing is “cool,” though right now she’s not home a lot.

“I know that she loves me and she takes care of me,” said Melissa.

Melissa, too, wants to go to college to be smart like her mom, and loves to study civics with her middle school class.

From 1978 to 1984 Babin served as a White House Communications liaison in the U.S. Army. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the upstate New York native actually began taking college classes.

Babin said she completed her associate’s degree, and received two educational certificates from Northern Virginia Community College. From there she went onto George Mason University in Fairfax and completed her bachelor’s degree in 1998. In 2000, she received her first master’s degree.

With this next degree Babin plans to get a new job, but said she will continue to work for the federal government because of her “strong sense of loyalty.”

“I’m really doing this for my kids, to show them how important school is,” said Babin.

Babin’s older daughter, Victoria, 17, will be a junior next year at North Stafford High School. She is now beginning her college search.

In the grand scheme of things, Babin said she is not doing anything that special — she just wants to be a role model for her children.

“You can do anything if you put your mind to it,” she said.

AREA GRADUATIONS

The University of Mary Washington
Saturday, May 10 at 9 a.m.
Ball Circle

Germanna Community College
Thursday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Fredericksburg Expo Center

George Mason University
Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m.
Patriot Center

Northern Virginia Community College
Tuesday, May 13 at 6 p.m.
Patriot Center at George Mason Univeristy

The University of Richmond
Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11

Virginia Commonwealth University
Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m.
Richmond Coliseum

Marymount University
Sunday, May 11 at 10 a.m.
D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C.

Randolph-Macon College
Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31

Old Dominion University
Saturday, May 10 at 9 a.m.
Ted Constant Convocation Center