Heather Locklear, 61, is sharing how proud she is of her daughter, Ava Sambora, 25, and her academic achievements. The University of Southern California student just graduated with a Master’s degree, and her actress mom took to Instagram to share a video that showed an invitation of the big celebration. In the clip, the invitation reveals that Ava, whose father is Richie Sambora, studied “Marriage and Family Therapy” and Heather gushed over how she can now help others, in the caption.
“Thank you all for the likes. I did nothing for this therapist. She’s a jewel 🙏🏻 I hope she can help anyone who is struggling. I’ve been there,” the caption read. Ava also took to her own Instagram to share a smiling photo of herself. She had her long blonde hair down and was holding a bouquet of flowers as she wore a white blazer over a white top.
Heather’s post was met with a lot of responses, including one from Ava. “I love you mama!” she sweetly replied. Fans congratulated the new graduate in the comments section and also praised Heather, who was married to Ava’s dad from 1994 until 2007, for raising a smart young woman. “Congrats to the parents. You deserve a pat on the back. You jewel deserves her accolades,” one fan wrote, while another wrote, “God BLESS her on her journey… and BLESS you, Heather, for your transparency..SO refreshing ❤️🙏🏻🥰.”
Before Ava graduated with her impressive Master’s degree, she did other kinds of work, including acting and modeling. Her first role was in the Lifetime movie Mommy Be Mine, and she also had roles in This is Forty and Good Luck Charlie. In 2015, she was profiled for Teen Vogue, and has posed for several gorgeous photos of herself for social media.
Ava was also a cast member on the reality series Summer Break. The series showcased a group of teenagers in the Los Angeles, CA area who spend their summer together before heading off to college. She appeared in season three.