The day begins to become even more special for a college graduate. After four years of hard work, Jada Sayles is ready to graduate from Dillard College, a historic black college in New Orleans, on Saturday. Then she went into labor.
Around 4:30 a.m., just hours before the scheduled ceremony, Sayles was hospitalized. That day, she wrapped up another pivotal moment: the birth of her son.
She wrote on Twitter, along with a series of smiling photos of her adorable newborn: “I thought I was gonna walk across the stage to get my degree, instead I got my baby. My sweet face decided to make his way on MY big day (now his),”
Since Sayles was unable to attend her ceremony, the school decided to organize one for her. Dillard University President Walter M. Kimbrough wrote on Twitter: “Friday night, Jada went into labor. She texted me at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to announce she’d been accepted and that the baby would be born on her graduation day. So we drove to the hospital so that I could say my goodbyes in style.”
When she received her degree at the hospital, Sayles wore a graduation cap and gown. Aside from her family, who could be heard clapping for her in the background, there was another special visitor: the newborn boy she was holding.
After praising her “determination and commitment to excellence,” Kimbrough announced the new mother had officially graduated. He wrote alongside video footage of the hospital ceremony: “This is truly a sweet moment. I will never forget it.”
That day, Sayles received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, according to NBC station WDSU. Kimbrough went on to share that although he “would have done this for anyone that asked,” he was actually the one to bring up the idea of the visit. “What time can we come!” he recalled telling the new mother. “To me this is what HBCUs are all about!”
