No One Came to His Graduation So His Teacher Decided to Celebrate With Him Instead

Some classes won’t have an official graduation ceremony this year because of the current pandemic. The classes in safer areas must be thrilled to have the experience of officially graduating and celebrating their academic accomplishments. However, a graduation can become miserable if your family doesn’t bother to show up. That’s what happened to one teenager mid-June 2020.  

His Teacher Realized No Once Came to This Teen’s Graduation 

Dominique Moore is a teacher and graduation coordinator at Bessemer City High School. He was tidying up after the ceremony when he found one of students sitting alone long after everyone else had left. 

“I know his moods and I knew he wasn’t himself,‘’ Moore said. “I asked him, ‘Where are your people?’ and he was like, ‘Nobody’s here.‘’’ 

Moore responded with “I expect big things from you and it’s going to be OK.‘’ He hoped that someone was coming to pick him up. Yet when he was finished with the cleanup, the teen was still there. He didn’t have a ride home, so Moore offered him a lift. 

In the car, Moore asked the student if he was hungry and said he’d take him wherever he wants to eat. The teen suggested getting wings at a popular chain, but Moore wanted to take him somewhere a little more special. 

“He said, ‘How about Cheesecake Factory? I’ve heard about it but I’ve never been.’” And that’s where the two of them headed. [1] 

The teen was still dressed in his graduation cap when he enjoyed a shrimp basket with fries and Oreo cheesecake, something he had never tried before. 

Moore had also graduated from Bessemer City High School and he struggled to contain his emotions throughout the meal.  

“Man, I couldn’t imagine graduating high school and my folks not being there,” he said. 

He didn’t pry into the teen’s personal life or ask why the teen’s family didn’t show up. “I didn’t care,” Moore said. “At that moment, I just wanted to celebrate him. It was an amazing time.” After all, it’s not every day a teen graduates high school. He deserved to feel appreciated for his accomplishments.  

Withing hours of graduating school, the teen had a job at Amazon. He had no means of transportation to his new workplace so Moore drove him there and picked him up afterward. 

Raising Money for the Teen  

When the day was over, Moore did something he doesn’t normally do. He posted the whole story onto Facebook. “These situations are common to me and I handle them on my own,” he said. “You don’t always have to show everybody or tell everybody when you do something but this one just didn’t sit well with me. I don’t know what it was.” 

Moore included his Cash App account — $mooredaeducator — in the post in case anyone would like to help the teen. As of June 19, over $5,000 has been donated to the young graduate. [2] 

When Moore picked him up from work, he took him to a bank to open a checking account. The majority of the money was put into a cashier’s check while they find a reliable source of transportation for the teen. He hopes that he’ll be able to save enough money to attend college in the future. 

“I’m feeling amazing, that so many people would bless him in the way they have,” Moore told Good News Network, nine days after he started the fundraiser. “He has received a great deal of funds which have been turned over to a financial advisor.” [3] 

Moore and his student were blown away by the kindness and generosity people have shown them. “He is ecstatic. He was about to cry and I said, ‘No, you will not cry in front of me,‘’’ Moore said. 

He concluded saying, “We take people and life for granted. Even though we have bad, in this moment it shows that mankind is good.” 

The Response to Dominique Moore’s Good Deeds 

This story resonated with his viewers and many have praised Moore for his kindness and expressed encouragement for the teen. 

This baby needed a village and WE ARE HERE! Ash Norris commented 

Big congrats on your graduation! You are going to do amazing things. Your teacher will definitely be rewarded for his Kindness. This is such a heartwarming story. Best of luck to you and your future. Most of all Be Blessed! shared user MaryAnn Schulz Helterbrand.  

Tiffany Luster expressed: 1st of all congratulations! Now you take whatever you’re feeling and you use it to set the world on fire. Use that as your motivation to push harder and harder and make sure you remember the day you got into that car and continue to pass it forward!! [4]