海角大神

Graduating from high school is a major milestone. You and your friends put on the unifying robes of medieval scholars to collect a diploma. Families gather in the bleachers with signs. It鈥檚 a celebration of achievement, a rite of passage.聽

So when Timothy Harrison asked his boss at the Waffle House in Center Point, Alabama, to get May 27 off to go to his graduation ceremony, 鈥淥f course,鈥� Cedric Hampton replied. 鈥�!鈥�

But on graduation day, Mr. Harrison showed up at the Waffle House, in his work uniform. Mr. Harrison told his puzzled boss that he couldn鈥檛 get a ride across town to the ceremony. Besides, he couldn鈥檛 get tickets for his family members because he hadn鈥檛 completed his 鈥渟enior activities鈥� at Woodlawn High School.

But that didn鈥檛 wash with his Waffle House workmates. Shantana Blevins drove Mr. Harrison to the high school to get his cap and gown. Meanwhile, Mr. Hampton and two other employees ran to a nearby store to buy clothing appropriate for the event. Mr. Harrison returned to the Waffle House and changed into new pants, a dress shirt, and tie. His boss helped him into the gold-and-green graduation gown. Ms. Blevins raced him to the ceremony, and then waited for him in the parking lot.

鈥淲hen I sat down in that auditorium it was ,鈥� Mr. Harrison told WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Alabama. 鈥淣obody should miss that, especially a good kid like this,鈥� said Mr. Hampton. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 let him miss that day.鈥�