Whether it’s kindergarten or an advanced degree, graduation is a joyous time in the lives of students and their parents. Completing an academic program takes determination, dedication, and perseverance when things get daunting. So walking across that stage is a moment you usually want to share with all of your loved ones, especially the parents who helped get you to this point in your life.
One military father understood this deeply and made some moves to be there for his daughter on her special day, even though he was in the middle of a deployment with the US Navy.
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Douglas Hernandez has been away from his daughter since last July.
US Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Douglas Hernandez has been stationed in the Middle East since last summer, according to Good Morning America. But last week, he traveled 30 hours so he could attend his daughter’s college graduation. Hernandez reached out to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to coordinate the surprise.
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Douglas reached out to his daughter's school to surprise her.
Valarie Burke, UNLV’s assistant dean of graduate student services told KTNV that she received an email from Hernandez that read, “I have a daughter that's going to be graduating in May and I'm overseas and I wanted to know if there was a way that I could surprise her.” Douglas and his daughter Pamela hadn’t seen each other in nearly a year.
Pamela was brought to tears when she saw her father.
Douglas and UNLV embarked on a secret operation to make this graduation surprise possible. When the two reunited during the spring commencement at the Thomas & Mack Center, Pamela was brought to tears. "I was shaking. I couldn't believe it," the graduate told KTNV.
Pamela said she was happy to have her dad witness the beginning of this new chapter of her life.
Pamela graduated with a Masters of Public Administration degree. Sadly, being a member of a military family means that being apart for birthdays, special events, and holidays is the norm. But Pamela was elated that her father was able to be there for this moment.
“I'm just happy to be here. I'm happy to have my dad here and I'm happy to start a new chapter in life,” Pamela told KTNV.
