Mother-Son Duo Graduate Together With Bachelors Degrees From University of Maryland Global Campus

It’s one feeling to cross the commencement stage alone, but imagine sharing the moment with a loved one.

Mother and son Carolyn and Immanuel Patton graduated with bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maryland Global Campus. They walked the stage side-by-side during their Dec. 16 commencement ceremony.

According to ABC News, their achievement fulfilled a promise Immanuel made to Carolyn when he was five years old.

“I remember I just told my mom … one day, it’s gonna be you and me. We’re going to get our degrees at the same time,” Immanuel Patton, 23, said.

“That promise … he never allowed it to die,” said Carolyn, 63, a coordinator at Anne Arundel Community College. “It was continuously, ‘You know, mom, we’re gonna do this.’”

“I had started my bachelor’s degree back in 1995, but life happened. Things got in the way,” she shared, recalling her primary focus to ensure her son completed college.

Already attaining two associate’s degrees each, the Pattons began their bachelor’s programs at UMGC in the fall of 2020.

Throughout their studies, the duo kept each other motivated to keep going when it became difficult to continue.