By George P. Hassett

In 1984 Cynthia Snow left Suffolk University with a 2.2 grade point average. In the next two decades she overcame many challenges – bankruptcy, divorce, single motherhood and a new career as a Somerville firefighter, where she was the third female on a force of 165 men – but still, something was missing.

“I longed to get myself back to where I thought I was meant to be: to finish my education,” she said.

On Sunday, May 18, 26 years after first entering Suffolk, Snow walked across the graduation stage to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. And that grade point average? After two years of almost straight A’s, it rose to a 3.3.

‚ÄúIt is never too late to reach for your dreams,‚Äù Snow said. ‚ÄúThere is little that one can’t do if one wants it badly enough. No matter what twists and turns life throws your way, just hold on and keep your dream alive.‚Äù

Snow returned to Suffolk in 2006 and attended class days, nights and throughout the summer while working full-time at Engine 1 and raising her two sons. “I was amazed at how differently I now viewed my education. Instead of partying and socializing, now I was paying the tuition. As I gained the knowledge of each progressive course, I grew stronger within myself and with the world around me.”

Next, Snow said she will attend law school – following the same path as her favorite teacher.

As a little girl growing up in Somerville, Snow would sit and watch her father study for the bar exam at home late into the evening, quietly sitting beside him at the end of his desk, practicing her writing and learning to spell.

‚ÄúHe always took time to answer my questions and explain things to me,‚Äù she said. ‚ÄúI didn’t realize it then, but he was setting an example for me that would stay with me throughout the years. He made me believe that there was nothing I couldn’t do if I wanted it bad enough.‚Äù

Snow said that as a college student the professors at Suffolk encouraged her the same way her father did years earlier. “[The professors] show the same care and concern as I remember my father had towards me while growing up. They take the time to give of themselves so that all students can grasp the concepts that are being taught,” she said.

Tony Ferullo of Suffolk University contributed reporting to this article.