LEWISTON — After being laid off last year, Tami Davis went home and cried, not knowing what to do.

Her daughters told her: Go back to school.

“She said, ‘Are you crazy? A woman my age doesn’t belong in school,'” recalled daughter Samantha Davis, 19.

Tami Davis, 44, of Livermore is now a student at Andover College. So are her daughter Samantha, foster daughter Rebecka Tellier and stepdaughter Jennifer Bero.

Lewiston campus officials say it’s uncommon to have that many members of one family enrolled at the same time.

Tami Davis said she never saw herself in college. “All I wanted to do was work and raise my family.”

These days, she’s a legal studies student. “I have always found the law to be very interesting,” she said.

Her life change happened last year when she was laid off from ICT, a call center in Wilton. Six years before that, she was laid off from an Auburn manufacturing job.

Her daughters sat her down at the kitchen table and had a talk.

“I told her it was time to do something for herself and stop worrying about us,” Samantha said. “Becca and I had graduated and were on our way to college. It was a good time for her to believe in herself.”

Last April, Tami agreed to meet with Andover College admissions representative Brad Bosse.

“It was supposed to be an informational thing,” she said. “Then it turned into taking all these wonderful tests with shaking knees.” She passed the tests, and wrote an essay. “The next thing I knew, it was time to start class.”

The first class was one month later, introduction to legal studies. Tami was nervous, not knowing what to expect. “But I got in the class and I knew it was all going to be good,” she said. She found the class interesting and enjoyable. The teacher taught “with a great sense of humor.”

So far, she has studied tort laws, wills, trust and estate, real estate law and college writing. “The work was intense for a little bit,” Tami said. “I’ve been out of school since 1983. I had a whole lot of catching up to do.”

Her daughters, who tutor at the college, are helping.

“We’ve spent many hours at the kitchen table helping her with homework,” Samantha said.

“It’s payback for all those years,” Tami joked, adding that her daughters’ help is “wonderful. And their dad pushes just as hard as they do.”

So far, the mother and daughters have not been in the same class, but will share some of the same graduation ceremonies. Samantha and Jennifer are scheduled to graduate this spring; Tami and Rebecka in 2011.

After that, Tami plans to continue her education and work. “I have a long-time friend who is a lawyer. He told me when I get to a certain point to call him. He could use me in his office.”

Her daughters are delighted that all four are in college.

“Becca is shining; she’s on her way to success,” Samantha said. “Jen’s on her way to success after getting her (four) boys to a certain point. Mom has us raised and she’s ready to learn.”

Admissions Director Kashina Bryant credited the women with inspiring each other and encouraging their friends to go back to school.

“One of the most rewarding parts of our jobs is to have somebody call and say, ‘You enrolled my sister or mom and they had a great experience. Can I come in?'”

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