Katie STARTING OVER At 45

As 18-year-old daughter Suri Cruise graduates and heads to college, Katie Holmes begins an exciting new chapter

It's a rite of passage for every teen. Days after attending her prom in a corseted floral-print ensemble on June 18, Suri Cruise graduated from NYC's LaGuardia High School, the famed performing arts institution that counts Timothée Chalamet, Jennifer Aniston and Nicki Minaj among its former students. Next, Suri revealed in a classmate's TikTok video posted this May, she's heading to college in Pennsylvania.

But Suri's not the only one transitioning to a new phase of life. Twelve years after Katie Holmes blindsided Tom Cruise with divorce papers, escaped his controversial faith and secured custody of their daughter, Katie, 45, is "fully embracing this next chapter," says a source.

"She'sbeen through a lot. The Tom drama seems so long ago, but it followed her for many years." Suri turning 18 a few months ago was a "catalyst" for Katie, adds the source, that "helped her healing process. She successfully raised their daughter the way she wanted to. Katie and Suri are both such strong women."

BEGIN AGAIN

A decade ago, the single mother declared in an interview, "I don't have any fear now." Today, that rings truer than ever, according to the source.