Mrs Sanders and her daughter Natalie Celona will don academic caps together today, walk up the steps of the Derek Pigot Auditorium at Kinross Wolaroi School and graduate from Charles Sturt University. 

It was a long five-and-a-half years of distance education to get a bachelor in business (accounting) but Mrs Sanders is glad she finally made it, even though she did not quite beat her daughter. 

Miss Celona will graduate today with a double degree, a bachelor in communication (public relations) and a bachelor of business studies. 

When it came to marks, there was strict competition between the mother-daughter team. 

“I am better with numbers than essay writing so when I asked [Natalie] for help with essay writing she told me I needed to take responsibility for my own assignments,” Mrs Sanders said. 

Miss Celona, 21, joked that it was just a little bit of payback from her days in school. 

She said she was proud of her mum, who had previously never attended university, but was equally proud of her own achievements.

“I am just relieved to finally be graduating,” she said. 

Miss Celona said she had no immediate plans for life post university and was happy in her administrative role.

Mrs Sanders said she started university after a previous employer offered training to staff before they became redundant. 

The only thing she is nervous about is falling up the stairs to receive her certificate.