MADISON — Holly Eggleston now has time to eat lunch during her noon break.

And get more sleep at night.

Since 2006, Eggleston, a mom, wife, daughter, full-time finance director at Madison-based School Administrative District 59 and part-time student at Thomas College, studied before work, at lunch and at night.

And Saturday, after taking one class per semester for seven years, Eggleston gave herself an early Mother’s Day gift — a bachelor of science degree in business administration, summa cum laude, from Thomas College.

“This was a benefit for me,” Eggleston said. “I’m much more confident than I used to be. I did it for myself.”

And the 43-year-old did it well.

In seven years, Eggleston earned nearly all A’s; the exceptions were two A-minuses.

After she graduated from Madison Area Memorial High School in 1986 she decided to start working, because she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study.

Since 1996, though, Eggleston has pursued higher education.

That year she started taking courses for an associate degree at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield.

Taking one class at a time, she earned an accounting degree in 2003.

In 2006, she began studying at Thomas.

“I don’t think I ever had a typical day,” Eggleston said. She studied online before work and went home during her lunch break “and spent it with a book or online.”

When her husband, Scott, worked night shifts, she stayed up late to study.

“I like to stay busy,” Eggleston said. “It went by quickly. I wasn’t in a hurry. It was fun. I’m glad I did it.”

And she did it while working around the studies and sports of her son, Matt Soucy.

“He’s my main (priority),” Eggleston said. “I scheduled everything around him.”

Soucy, 18, is an honor roll student, played football and basketball, and was a McDonald’s Senior Basketball All-Star selection this season.

Soucy was also part of a student group that won the Windstorm Challenge 2012 at the University of Maine for building the best scale-model floating offshore wind-turbine platform.

This fall, he’ll head to the University of Maine to study athletic training.

Eggleston said she loves being involved in her son’s life.

“I’m proud of who he is and how we raised him,” she said.

“It means the most that every day he gives me a hug. My favorite part about being a mom is watching him grow and change over the years into who he is today.”

Soucy said he’s also proud of his mother.

“She’s been in school for as long as I have,” said the senior at Madison Area Memorial High School.

“And she’s always been there for me. She’s never missed any of my events.”

Eggleston said the support of her husband as well as parents, Roger and Linda Vigue, were instrumental in her reaching her goal.

She said her mother encouraged her, ran errands, prepared dinner for Soucy and, when Soucy was young, she tucked him bed.

“I never could have done it without her,” Eggleston said. “Sometimes it was very trying and she was very supportive.”

Eggleston said she preferred online classes, in part because they eliminated the 40-minute one-way drive to Thomas in Waterville.

When she had night classes on campus, she enjoyed meeting students of varying ages.

Of the 218 part-time students enrolled at Thomas, 27 are women in the 40-49 age group, said Jennifer Buker, director of public relations.

This fall, after Soucy heads to college, Eggleston said she might take a yoga class.

Reading for pure pleasure and gardening are also on her short-term bucket list.

Not to mention eating lunch during her lunch break.

Beth Staples — 861-9252

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