It’s a moment every parent anticipates with a mix of pride and dread: the day your kids pack up their rooms and head off to college. For Chip and Joanna Gaines, that moment has arrived not once, but twice, as their two eldest children have embarked on their own academic adventures. Despite growing up in the relentless glare of the HGTV spotlight, Drake and Ella Rose Gaines are navigating this classic rite of passage with a refreshing sense of normalcy. Their college choices reflect their unique personalities, and their parents’ reactions—a heartfelt blend of excitement, humor, and wistful sadness—are deeply relatable for anyone who’s ever had to let go.
For Joanna, in particular, watching her children leave the nest has been an emotional journey she’s been surprisingly open about. She’s shared the poignancy of the experience with her millions of followers, proving that even the woman who can flawlessly design a dream home isn’t immune to the ache of an suddenly quiet house. Meanwhile, Chip, ever the joker, has handled it with his characteristic humor, though his pride in his kids’ ambitions shines through just as brightly. Together, they’re figuring out how to parent from a distance, celebrating their children’s independence while secretly counting down the days until they come home for a visit.
Drake’s Home-State Adventure at Mary Hardin-Baylor
The Gaines’ firstborn, Drake, didn’t venture far from the family’s Waco roots. He’s attending the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Texas, where he’s pursuing a degree in business entrepreneurship—a fitting choice for the son of two of America’s most famous entrepreneurs. He’s also a member of the school’s baseball team, though an injury unfortunately sidelined him for the 2024 season.
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While his distance from home is manageable, the emotional distance for his mom has been significant. Joanna has confessed that saying goodbye never gets easier, even after the second time around. Chip, on the other hand, joked in an interview that sending Drake away was a necessary survival tactic—for Drake himself. He quipped that college was the only way they could finally teach him how to do his own laundry. Apparently, the lesson stuck. Joanna shared an amusing story about helping Drake decorate his first apartment, only for him to later send his siblings “after” pictures of his own DIY improvements. He’d strung up Amazon lights throughout the space, leading his mom to joke that it now “looks like a club.” Chip even claimed to have spotted a potential smoke machine in the corner, a detail Joanna playfully dismissed. Despite his newfound independence and club-worthy décor, Drake remains a family man at heart, frequently appearing on Joanna’s Instagram during trips back home.
Ella Rose’s Big Dreams at Parsons School of Design
If Drake’s path was about staying close to home, his sister Ella Rose’s journey is about spreading her wings as far as they can go. The Gaines’ eldest daughter is studying at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City, a choice that perfectly aligns with her creative aspirations. Joanna has often spoken about the special creative connection she shares with Ella, noting her daughter’s desire to become a designer. It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the magnolia tree.
Her decision to study in a city a world away from Waco didn’t shock her parents. Chip revealed that Ella’s college list was never going to include schools just down the road; she had also seriously considered options in South Korea and California. He shared his paternal pride with “Today,” saying, “She seems excited to be able to spread her wings and do something very unique and outside the bubble.” His praise for her was boundless, noting that sending her off felt like “sending this young lady off to become the next president of the United States.” For Chip, Ella’s potential is limitless.
A Parent’s Bittersweet “Breathless Surrender”
For all their pride and encouragement, the reality of an emptying nest is still a profound adjustment for Chip and Joanna. Joanna beautifully captured the universal conflict of parenthood in an Instagram post, writing, “This season already feels like one big, breathless surrender. Lord, how do I hold them close while also letting go?” It’s a question every parent asks themselves, a balancing act between clinging to the past and cheering for the future.
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Their story is a testament to the fact that even for a family living a very public life, the core experiences of love, growth, and letting go remain beautifully, comfortingly normal. With their youngest, Crew, still at home for several more years, the Gaines family is in a transitional chapter—one filled with group texts, care packages, and the excited anticipation of having everyone under one roof during school breaks.
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