From First-Day Photos to Finite Math Struggles, Reggie Johnson and Liv Clements Prove College Can Be a Family Affair
College isn’t usually a team sport, but for Reggie Johnson and Liv Clements, it became just that — a four-year journey filled with textbooks, classroom laughs, and unwavering support. In 2025, this Bloomington-based father-daughter duo walked across the stage together at Indiana University’s “Black Grad” ceremony, not just as graduates, but as each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
Johnson, who had worked at IU for over twenty years, saw his daughter’s enrollment as more than a proud parenting moment — it was an opportunity to chase his own academic dreams.
“I didn’t come here to be next to her and follow her through her college career or anything like that,” Johnson said. “I came here to try to, you know, get this education for myself. It was a bonus that she was here with me and able to support me.”
Their connection wasn’t just symbolic; it was practical. The pair supported each other academically, emotionally, and even mathematically — literally. One summer, they tackled finite math side by side, rarely leaving Bloomington, committed to conquering the challenging subject together.
“We would study together, and we hate our lives, but we were doing it together, and we survived,” Clements said. “I don’t think either of us literally would have passed it without having the other person.”
Their relationship flourished through their shared challenges, turning classroom time into family bonding.
“It just feels normal,” Clements said. “It doesn’t feel like we would do it without each other, because we are so close that it made sense that we do something like this together.”
As they now search for jobs — Clements in sports media and Johnson in tourism, hospitality, and event management — both carry more than degrees. They carry a shared story of resilience, connection, and breaking the mold of what higher education usually looks like.
“The most exciting part about being finished is that now she gets to go out, and I get to see how she can grow as an individual on a real personal level,” Johnson said.
But for Liv, graduation day wasn’t just about her own future — it was a celebration of her father’s tenacity.
“I did the normal route,” Clements said. “I went to college. I did the four years. But to say you went at 45 with three kids, and you’re graduating from the place where you started. No one can beat a story like that.”
Reggie Johnson and Liv Clements remind us that the path to education isn’t defined by age, timing, or convention. It’s defined by heart, drive, and sometimes, the love between a father and daughter. Their story shows that learning is not just for the young — it’s for the bold. Whether you’re 18 or 45, it’s never too late to walk across that stage and prove to yourself, and your family, that dreams can be shared and achieved — together.
Source:
- https://youtu.be/QLEPk6KK5aM?si=tnmTf-qBlnUF2W2M
- https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/father-daughter-duo-graduate-iu-together.php
- https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/father-daughter-duo-celebrate-joint-graduation-from-indiana-university
- https://chatgpt.com/
- https://app.pictory.ai/
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