Parents Of College Graduates Find Unique Ways To Celebrate Their Children's Success During Coronavirus Outbreak
PENN HILLS (KDKA) -- It was a day that should have been filled with pomp and circumstance for college seniors, but the Coronavirus pandemic took that away.
Many colleges switched to virtual graduations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Parents like Karen Hanchett weren't about to let this just be another day.
"She's worked so hard for this degree. She's worked so hard to get her future in motion," she said talking about her daughter Hilary Serbin.
Her daughter graduated from Pitt with a microbiology degree.
"I wasn't going to let this moment pass without something big and loud. Just wonderful for her," Hanchett said.
So she brought the sounds of graduation to the corner outside her daughter's Oakland apartment. She had a brass quartet perform on the sidewalk.
More cheers echoed in Penn Hills as Bryan Regus-Douglass Jr.'s family congratulated him for a biology degree from Pitt-Greensburg.
"I don't have any words. This is just so crazy. Having all of this happen. I'm just so grateful," he told KDKA.
He had no clue this was coming and was filled with emotions as his loved ones made his graduation special under these tough circumstances.
"Something I will never feel again. This is a once in a lifetime thing," Regus-Douglass said.
No mask could hide the smile from Serbin when she came out of her apartment for the graduation surprise from her mother.
"I'm just happy. This is so sweet. For not getting a graduation, this is perfect," Serbin said.