Proud Dad and Univ. Pres. Is Bowled Over by His | Political News

It’s commencement season, with graduation ceremonies still occurring across the nation as we spherical out the month of May. Last weekend, my grand-nephew graduated school, and his sister and my grand-niece will graduate high college next week. So, tons of celebrations of moments and milestones are occurring all across the nation. One distinctive commencement ceremony occurred final week at Clemson University, where its school president acquired a pleasant shock through a highly effective gesture from his graduating daughter.

Milestones and miracles are the subject of this week’s Feel-Good Friday.

Jim Clements has been the president of Clemson University in South Carolina since 2013, where he directs and oversees all points of campus life, programming, and financing. One of these applications is ClemsonLIFE (Learning Is For Everyone), a complete postsecondary transition observe for college students with developmental and mental disabilities. Founded in 2009, this system provides the chance for these college students with particular wants to expertise school life: the social actions, programs, and to gain social and employment skills–with the objective of dwelling and working independently in the broader world. After 16 years, it has a file of confirmed success, so a lot so that Clements enrolled his youngest daughter, Grace, in the two-year module.

Clements’ spouse, Beth, spoke with People magazine about what a miracle it was for Grace to have this alternative:

“When Grace was getting diagnosed with several different things, I felt like we were letting go of certain dreams like marriage and prom and college, and then came to find out this exists,” she says. “Clemson LIFE exists, as well as others. God restored a dream and let her go.”

And Grace soared, so a lot so that on May 8, she graduated alongside eight different college students from this system, just like any different school child. As Grace walked across the stage in her robes, Clements beamed with fatherly pleasure, but was also standing as the faculty president who shakes palms with every graduating senior. So, he readied himself to greet her with the dignity worthy of the workplace. 

That went out the window when one thing surprising occurred: 

For Clemson University President Jim Clements, watching his daughter dash across the commencement stage to obtain her diploma — only to by chance topple them both as she leapt into his arms for a hug — was a “magical” second.

“She actually just sprinted. I’ve never seen her run that fast,” Jim tells PEOPLE. “I would let her tackle me a thousand, million times over to see the joy in her face when she did it.” 

On May 8, Grace Clements graduated from the ClemsonLife (Learning Is for Everyone) Program, which teaches independence and job skills to students with intellectual disabilities. 

“I was in dad-mode. I just wanted to show her to everybody, and then give her the biggest hug and let her know that I love her and that I’m proud of her,” Jim recollects.

After he and Grace both toppled over, the father-daughter pair rapidly recovered and helped each different up — but Grace says that after what occurred, she has a new nickname for her dad: “Butterfingers.”

“He didn’t even catch me,” she jokes.

WATCH:

There’s a quote typically attributed to actress Audrey Hepburn. It says, “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible‘!” A complete new world of potentialities has opened up for Grace Clements, first as a school scholar and now as she launches absolutely into grownup life. Grace even pledged a sorority and participated in that Greek life while she studied.  

A spokesman for Clemson stated this in a assertion:

“For all of our Clemson students, graduation is a new beginning, and seeing Grace embrace her dad — our University President — embodied the moment of exhilaration felt by each of our 5,270 new Clemson alums as they begin the next chapter of their lives.”

The pleasure, pleasure, and unbridled delight exuded from that sort out are what have captured people’s hearts and creativeness, and why the video has gone viral. “Amazing Grace” Clements represents everybody who has conquered the not possible because somebody believed in their capacity to soar. What an superior dad she has in Clements, and what an superior second.

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