University's act of kindness allows student to realize late mom's graduation dream
Theresa had been imagining graduating since she was a girl, after watching convocation ceremonies in the movies.
“It was definitely ‘High School Musical,’” she laughs. “The big American graduation where everybody throws their cap at the end.”
It was an accomplishment her mom Daphne hadn’t experienced, but hoped Theresa would.
“Along with getting married,” Theresa says. “I think graduating was a big one for her.”
So you can imagine how they felt when, after two years of enduring virtual studies at the University of British Columbia, Theresa was told she’d be receiving her bachelor’s degree at an in-person ceremony.
“(My mom) was probably more excited about it than I was!” Theresa laughs.
Weeks before the convocation, they posed for a family photo with Theresa in a cap and gown.
But then — just days before her big day — Theresa received an email from UBC saying that, because of the all damage caused by that extreme weather, their shipment of regalia would likely not arrive in time for the ceremony.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Theresa says. “There’s a lot of other (greater) problems the storm created. But…”
But it was disappointing.
When the news of UBC’s plight reached the the manager of convocation and events at the University of Victoria, Jeanie offered to help.
“I kind of said, ‘Hey! We have regalia here so let me know if you want it,’” Jeanie says.
When the offer to lend 600 of their gowns was gratefully accepted by UBC, Jeanie came in on her day off to help load up a truck. After travelling by ferry from Victoria to the mainland, the regalia made it in time for the ceremonies.
“Convocation is super important to me,” Jeanie says. “And I understand how important that is (for the students).”
But she couldn’t have known how important it was for Theresa.
“My mom passed away a few weeks ago,” Theresa cries. “She really wanted to be there.”
When Theresa finally delivered her grad speech at the convocation, when she walked across the stage and received her degree wearing a cap and gown, she couldn’t have felt more grateful for all the people who worked so hard behind the scenes to make the graduation ceremony look just the way her mom dreamed it for her daughter.
“She’ll be proud. And she gets to see the cap and gown,” Theresa says, after wiping away her tears. “If she is there in whatever way, I hope she likes it.”
Perhaps the moment she’d like the most would be the one Theresa’s dad captured on video. It shows a smiling Theresa wearing her gown and throwing her cap in the air. It’s a moment just like in the movies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.