COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — A stay-at-home mom of 18 years in West Michigan always told her kids to go to college, but when she realized she wasn’t practicing what she preached, she knew something had to change.
"If you don't try, you will never know," said Cassandra Tiensivu, who lives in Comstock Park with her two daughters.
Tiensivu is now back at school to show her girls the importance of an education. She’s learned a lot a long the way, too.
But the best part? Now her daughters get to call her something other than mom — their classmate.
“We always find each other on campus and we're like, 'Hey! Over here!” she said, smiling.
The Tiensivus are all students at Grand Rapids Community College. While Cassandra's girls stress over their classes, she’s right there with them.
“Oh, man, chemistry is tough," she said.
Now that she’s back, though, she's not sure she ever wants to stop learning.
"I think I'm going to end up with three associate's degrees," Tiensivu said.
Along the way, she discovered a passion for art and science, which she combined to create a unique new business.
She’s created a space-themed kitten product line called Celestial Kittens to help get kids interested in the sciences in a fun way.
The project is already seeing interest before it’s even completely launched.
"We've fully funded our first goal on Kickstarter!" she said.
It was also just named a “Project We Love” by the site, which is, in their words, a way of highlighting brilliant examples of creativity.
Tiensivu has also seen a surge in sales for her other product, a Petoskey stone pin sold right next to the checkout counter at the Grand Rapids Public Museum gift shop, made from her own drawing.
For someone who got their start later than most, she says it feels good to be in control of her future.
"It's validation, and so it just it's an immensely good feeling.”
Above all, Tiensivu encourages everyone to take the leap.
“You believe in yourself, because if you don't believe in yourself, it's hard to have people believe in you," she said.
You can support Tiensivu's Kickstarter on their website here.
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