Mom Who Skipped Her Own Graduation to Attend Son's Surprised with Diploma

Sharonda Wilson proves that there is nothing like a mother's dedication after she decided to skip her graduation to attend her son’s. However, the lady wasn’t expecting the big surprise that the president of her son’s university had prepared, and that turned her day into a double celebration.

When Sharonda Wilson had to decide if she would attend hers on her son's commencement ceremony, she didn’t have to think twice to choose her son.

Although she was set to graduate from Ferris State University on Saturday, she decided to skip the ceremony to cheer for her son, Stephan Wilson, as he received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in music theater from Central Michigan University.

To both mother and son’s surprise, as the ceremony unfolded on CMU on Saturday, President Bob Davies called Sharonda and Stephan to the front and gave the proud mom a graduation cap.

Davies then explained that, after hearing about the situation, he called Ferris State University’s president, David Esler, and asked to confer Sharonda’s degree on his behalf.

In a video shared on CMU’s social media accounts, Davies can be seen telling Sharonda “I confer upon you, Sharonda Wilson, the bachelor’s degree that you have earned with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto. Please move your tassel from your right to your left.”

As she did it, Sharonda received a standing ovation and cheers from everyone at the venue, and she couldn’t contain her tears.

Talking to the Detroit Free Press, Stephan revealed that the ceremony was the perfect way to end his journey at CMU.

“Dr. Davies really shocked me. I told a friend of mine that [my] mom was skipping her graduation to be with me, and she used her magic to help Dr. Davies orchestrate that moment," he said. And continued:

"When I heard [she] was getting her degree with me I was speechless. My mother is truly the strongest and most compassionate woman I know. That moment tops [any] other moment I have ever shared with my mother."

The video has now gone viral with over 700k views on Twitter, and 600k more on the University’s Facebook.

People in the comments praised both Sharonda and Stephan for their achievement and the university’s directive for being thoughtful and offering the mother-son duo such a special moment.

Congratulations to Sharonda and Stephan!