The University of Northern Iowa scheduled their commencement for 6 PM on Saturday evening at the McCloud Center on campus.
Friends, family, and faculty were all primed to cheer 2,000 students getting their sheepskins.
By 7 PM it was over, and everyone was off to celebrate in the manner of their choosing.
But Carley Johnston of Altoona, PA, who was receiving a Master of Arts in Leisure, Youth, and Human Services,
was job hunting
in Gettysburg, PA, learned her flight had been delayed and wouldn’t make it back by 6 PM.
Quote:
When she touched down in Cedar Rapids, the other students had already lined up to walk the stage.
Though the ceremony in Cedar Falls finished around 7 p.m., after hearing about Johnston's plane issues, President Bill Ruud,
along with other administrators and staff, decided to wait nearly an hour for her arrival and to give Johnston her own personal
commencement with her family present.
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That was nice of President Ruud to do that for her family.
I suspect once he said he was staying, the rest of the crew fell all over themselves to join in.
It makes me wonder how a person receiving a masters degree, still believes in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and airline schedules.
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