Miracles at Graduation: Paralyzed Gunshot Victim Walks Across The Stage at College Graduation

Cheers exploded during a graduation ceremony at a Virginia community college after witnessing a miracle by student Khalil Watson.

With the help of a device called Ekso Bionics’ exoskeleton, a wearable device that assists patients in pushing their limits, Watson was able to show the world anything is possible while walking across the stage to receive his associate’s degree in pre-social work from Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia.

Watson was the victim of gun violence, shot in the neck while leaving a barber shop in 2016, two weeks before his high school graduation and prom; the wound hit his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down, USA Today reports.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump posted the amazing video on Twitter, congratulating Watson, 25, on his determination, calling it “awe-inspiring.”

25-yo Khalil Watson received his associate’s degree by walking across Reynolds Community College’s stage with the help of a robotic exoskeleton — almost 7 years after he was shot and left paralyzed. His determination to earn his degree and walk again is awe-inspiring! 🎓💪🏾 🎥:… pic.twitter.com/YuVfgiIZfO

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) May 17, 2023

Everyone in the audience rose to give him a standing ovation as he walked across the stage. Watson says all his hard work prepared him for that moment. “It kind of felt like a dream,” Watson said. “It didn’t really hit me until a couple days later after doing some reflecting on what I had to go through to get to this point.”

He reminisced on his time at the Sheltering Arms Institute. There, he had to learn how to relearn life’s basics—eat, speak, and breathe—all over again. His therapists were with him every step of the way. “I did this for God, myself, friends, my family,” Watson said, according to NBC 29. “I mean if people only knew how I got to this point..”

This isn’t the end for Watson. He plans to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work.