Duvinson Jeanty, 63, and his son, Benjamin Jeanty, 27, became the first members of their family to graduate from William Paterson University in New Jersey on the same day, marking a touching and historic occasion.
It was already a dream come true for Benjamin, a first-generation American, to take the stage. However, the milestone became extremely memorable and personal when he shared that event with his father.
Benjamin remarked, “I always knew I wanted to graduate from college.” However, doing it with my dad? That is more than I could have ever dreamed.
Benjamin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, while his father, who started his trip more than ten years earlier, graduated with a degree in finance. Despite working full-time as a bus driver and taking care of his elderly mother, Duvinson, who immigrated to the United States from Haiti in 1983, chose to go back to school later in life.
He started his education at Passaic County Community College, where he graduated with an associate’s degree in 2016. He continued to pursue his bachelor’s degree, frequently going to classes after working lengthy nighttime shifts.
Benjamin, who had briefly put his own education on hold after enrolling at Rutgers University, was deeply impacted by his tenacity. Years later, Benjamin went back to school while working part-time at a special needs facility, inspired by his father’s commitment.
Following a period of tense relations, the father and son pair made up, and Benjamin eventually enrolled at William Paterson University to finish his education with his father.
“There’s no better way for me to express my love and gratitude than to graduate alongside him.” Benjamin thought. “I expected to graduate first in the family, but it means even more to share that honour with my father.”
Benjamin now intends to study urban policy analysis for his master’s degree. In honour of his late mother, Duvinson founded Genevieve Investment Solutions, a financial advising company whose goal is to assist families in becoming financially independent, particularly those who are first-time homebuyers.
Their heartwarming tale is proof of the strength of tenacity, familial ties, and the unshakeable relationship between a father and son who are committed to changing their family’s history.
CREDIT: ALLSCHOOL, Allschoolabs
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