Florida Mom of 7 Graduates College as Class Valedictorian with Perfect GPA: 'Incredibly Honored'

Ashley Payne, whose education was put on hold in 2006, recently graduated at the top of her class from Keiser University as a registered nurse

A Florida woman graduated from college last week not only as the class valedictorian with a perfect grade point average, but also as a mother of seven children.

“I cannot begin to express the gratitude and joy that fills my heart as I reflect on this incredible journey,” Ashley Payne said in her valedictorian address at Keiser University.

The Florida native, 35, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, and is no stranger to being at the top of her class, according to the school. Back in 2006, Payne served as valedictorian at her high school graduation at the Families of Faith Christian Academy.

Payne credits her achievements to the support and love of her children and her husband, Joseph, whom she calls her “other half.”

“Each step has been marked by the support and love of an amazing family who have been my rock and foundation throughout,” Payne said in her speech. “To my precious children, you are the reason I strive for greatness and I thank you for the motivation and inspiration you provide every day.”

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On Payne’s first day of college classes in 2019, she received some words of encouragement from her oldest daughter, Lorelai, 9, that she says she still cherishes today.

"She sent me to school with a Post-It note in her tiny handwriting that had this phrase ‘Aim for the moon, if you miss, you may hit a star,’” Payne said via a press release from the university. “If she can realize the vast opportunities this world has to offer, so can you,”

Payne’s path to college was disrupted when she had a pulmonary embolism at the start of her freshman year in 2006.

“I was only eighteen years old, and had zero cause for blood clots, so they kept me in the intensive care unit for two weeks," she told school officials. "This rattled my plan significantly."

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She switched gears to manage her health and focus on her growing family. She also joined her husband to manage their party rental business, but ultimately found a new passion. She became a doula and a birth assistant before she decided to return to school and earn an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse degree in Midwifery.

“My array of birth experiences, after having seven babies, has put me in a unique position to be able to empathize with most women and has cultivated a passion for birth work as deep-rooted as the oldest Shepherd's tree,” Payne said.

Keiser University Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., said the community was happy to celebrate Payne and her impressive accomplishments.

“We are incredibly proud of Ashley for being named valedictorian of her graduating class with a perfect 4.0 GPA,” Keiser tells PEOPLE in a statement. “Such determination is common among Keiser University graduates. We live to serve students like Ashley and the many other working parents who are determined to take their next steps toward professional growth. We wish Ashley all the best in the future and encourage her to keep reaching for the stars.”

Payne is not done furthering her education — she is now onto her next “amazing adventure,” earning her Master of Science degree in Nurse-Midwifery at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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