Katie Holmes Makes Rare Comments About Daughter Suri Heading to College: 'Really Proud of Her'

"I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. It’s exciting to learn about yourself," the actress says of her daughter going off to school

Katie Holmes is preparing to be an empty nester.

While speaking to Town & Country for their September 2024 issue, the Dawson's Creek actress, 45, gave some rare comments about her daughter Suri, 18, heading to college after graduating from her New York City high school in June.

The mother-of-one, who has tried to keep her daughter out of the spotlight over the years, told the outlet, "I’m proud of my daughter. Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but I’m really proud of her and I’m happy."

"I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. It’s exciting to learn about yourself, and I loved that time, so it makes me happy to think about it like that,” Holmes added.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: Katie Holmes Just Wore the Ideal Outfit to Transition from Summer to Fall — Get Her Look from $11

Holmes welcomed Suri with her ex-husband Tom Cruise, 62. The former couple married in 2006 before divorcing in 2012.

Following Suri's graduation on June 21, images of the teenager in her red cap and gown circulated online. As previously reported by PEOPLE, Suri went by "Suri Noelle" instead of "Suri Cruise" in her school's graduation ceremony program.

Earlier in June, Suri seemed to point to her college plans in a TikTok celebrating her senior class' chosen schools.

The teen appeared in a clip honoring "decision day" (also known as "sweatshirt day"), with the classmates wearing sweatshirts celebrating the colleges and universities they'd committed to attending in the fall.

Suri wore a Carnegie Mellon sweatshirt, pointing it out during the video.

Related: Katie Holmes Introduces New Furry Friend as She Snaps Fresh-Faced Selfies with Her Cat Eleanor

While speaking to Glamour in an interview published in April 2023, Holmes spoke about being mom to a teenage girl.

"What has been really important for me with my daughter, because she was so visible at a young age, is I really like to protect her. I’m very grateful to be a parent, to be her parent. She’s an incredible person," she told the outlet.

Holmes also discussed her daughter singing in two movies that she directed; 2022's Alone Together and 2023's Rare Objects.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

"I hope she always does something on my films. I always ask her. But both of those experiences came out of the same sense of what I love about our industry, which is, you have these projects and you become a family with people. And it’s this safe, beautiful, creative space," Holmes shared.

"So it comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly. That’s how I like to work. I like to have that kind of feeling. It was very meaningful to me to have her there, because she’s my heart," she added.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.