A special four-legged friend was among the thousands of graduates who received a diploma at the graduation ceremony at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.
Justin, a six-year-old guide dog owned by graduate student Grace Mariani, wagged his tail as he walked across the stage at the Prudential Center in Newark on May 22, a video on the university’s Twitter page showed.
The Labrador-golden retriever mix wore a blue mortar board and a Class of 2023 bandana while sniffing the diploma that Seton Hall President Joseph E. Nyre presented to him.
The crowd of families and graduates cheered as Justin grabbed the diploma in his mouth as he escorted Mariani across the stage in a motorized wheelchair.
The service dog of the non-profit Canine Companions for Independence received a diploma for attending all of Mariani’s classes at Seton Hall, the university said via Twitter.
Justin is Mariani’s second service dog for Canine Companions, according to Jeanine Konopelski, the nonprofit’s vice president of marketing and advocacy.
“When Grace was paired with Canine Companions service dog Justin, she said her dream was to go to college and become a teacher,” Konopelski said in an email to CNN .
“She shared that with Justin by her side, she has the best chance at an independent and successful life,” he said.
According to Jeanine Konopelski, Justin learned over 45 tasks to help Mariani become more independent. The student graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education, and plans to work in primary and special education.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
