HARTFORD – Receiving masters degrees on the same day, in the same venue, from two different colleges and at different times will be Lynn Izzi and her daughter Chrissie Izzi.

The two graduates will receive their degrees at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. Chrissie will be receiving her degree in social work from the University of New England at Portland, while Lynn will be receiving her degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

Chrissie started at Hartford-Sumner Elementary School, and graduated as valedictorian in 2000 from Buckfield Junior-Senior High School. She is engaged to be married in July and will be working with mentally challenged children at Kidspeace in South Portland. Kidspeace is a national program to aid children in crises.

Lynn currently serves on the SAD 39 school board and has taught at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School. She currently works as a special education consulting teacher in Auburn. She will be certified in special education and administration, but she says, “I love my job in Auburn.”

Lynn lives in Hartford with her husband, Charles Jr., a culinary arts instructor. She says Charles is a city boy, but when he saw the Maine sky at night, he said, “This is where I want to be.”

When Chrissie told her mom that she was applying for the masters program her mom jokingly said, “I’ve been working on mine since before you were born. You’d better not get yours first.”