Joanna Gaines Shares Emotional Message as She Sends Her Son Off to College

Joanna Gaines attends the TIME 100 Gala 2019 Cocktails in New York City on April 23, 2019. Larry Busacca/Getty Images for TIME

For Joanna Gaines, saying goodbye to her son is always a challenge.

The Magnolia cofounder posted a photo to Instagram last week showing her hugging her oldest son, Drake, as she sends him off to his sophomore year of college.

“Second year in college ... saying goodbye doesn’t get easier,” Gaines said.

The mother of five also shared a message of support to parents facing similar circumstances.

“Lots of love to all the parents sending their kids off to school this season,” Gaines said.

Fans flooded the comments in support of the Baylor University alum, and fellow parents shared their own struggles about saying goodbye to their children.

“This brings back so many memories with our 4 children, it’s hard to let them go but they have to learn to fly and achieve their goals!!” one user said.

“Our children have been out of the house for 30 yrs and I still hate saying goodbyes,” said another.

“I took my older daughter to start college in the US while we were living in Africa. I cried all the way back,” another user shared.

Drake, 19, is the eldest the five children, Gaines shares with her husband and fellow Magnolia cofounder, Chip Gaines.

The upcoming sophomore will pursue a degree in business entrepreneurship at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, a 44-mile drive south of his hometown, Waco.

In February of 2023, Chip and Joanna opened up about how they spent their time following Drake’s first departure to college. Chip said it prompted him to soak up every moment with their youngest child, Crew.

“Something about Drakey going off to college really does make you shift your attention to Crew who’s on the tail end of all this,” the 49-year-old told People Magazine. “And you’re kind of living very intentionally because you know that—which is so hard to believe when you’re holding a one-year-old—'Oh, this time’s going to go by quickly.’

“Because it seems like time was standing still, at the time, but then when you see your boy go off to college for real—well then, you certainly shift your attention to little Crew, and want to really practically live as if he were going to go off to college tomorrow, so we can enjoy and appreciate every moment,” he added.

In August of 2022, Joanna reflected on Drake’s upcoming move to college, finding “gratitude” and “excitement” amid the heartbreak.

“Soon, our oldest son, Drake, will be leaving home for college. In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement,” she wrote.

“But still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own. I catch glimpses now of what that life will look like and wonder if—or how many times—that might bring me to the floor,” she added.

The Magnolia Story

Chip and Joanna Gaines both attended Baylor University in Waco but didn’t cross paths while there.

After they both graduated, Chip visited Joanna’s father’s auto shop, where they met while Joanna was working. They married in 2003 in Waco and share five children: Drake, Ella, 17, Duke, 16, Emmie, 14, and Crew, 6.

The couple began flipping houses together soon after their wedding and opened their original store, Magnolia Market, in 2003, selling various home goods.

Around this time, Joanna started a blog and drew the attention of a High Noon Entertainment executive. After following the suggestion to create a “sizzle reel” that showcased their work, the Gaines worked with HGTV to launch the show “Fixer Upper.”

On “Fixer Upper,” the couple helped clients find and renovate homes. Debuting in May of 2013, the show ran for five seasons before ending in 2018.

During that time, the duo opened Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco. Magnolia Market later expanded to include a coffee shop, a bakery, and other retail stores.

In 2016, the duo launched their lifestyle magazine “Magnolia Journal” and furniture collection “Magnolia Home.“ The following year, Joanna collaborated with Target to launch her “Hearth & Hand with Magnolia” collection which includes bedding and lifestyle products.