GREENVILLE, NC (WNCT) – Mother’s Day is a celebration for all moms, and this year’s holiday was extra special for one local mother.

Kate Bruce was a “mom on a mission” for the past eight years. In 2008, the wife, mother of three, and grandmother, struggled to find a job, even though she had two associate degrees and 25 years of experience.

She decided to go back to school to get a job, but everything changed in 2014.

“I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer,” said Bruce. “It was a struggle to even stay in school though the chemo, through the surgeries. I had several different surgeries.”

Bruce fought hard, beat the cancer, and kept her eye on the prize: a bachelor’s degree.

“I knew I was doing it not just for me, but for my family and for my kids and my grandkids. I wanted to show them how important it was to succeed and to stay with something.”

On Mother’s Day weekend, she walked up steps at East Carolina University, and received her prize as a college graduate.

Her family all came to support her, making it her best Mother’s Day yet.