Train holds impromptu graduation for student after delays

  • 01/06/2017

A New York nursing student who missed his graduation because of delays on the city's subway has been thrown an improvised ceremony by his fellow commuters.

Jerich Marco Alcantara was on track to make it to his commencement ceremony on time - but a series of postponements culminating in a three-hour delay on the line to Hunter College's Brookdale campus scuppered his plans.

Dressed from head-to-toe in his graduation regalia, Mr Alcantara was disappointed - especially since he had plenty of his family and friends alongside him.

But thanks to the combined efforts of friends and strangers, he was able to get his graduation experience - and still had a pretty good crowd to watch him get awarded his diploma.

In footage posted by a fellow commuter to Facebook, Mr Alcantara is seen being presented with his certificate - pictured on a phone - before shaking hands and receiving the phone.

The one-minute ceremony was backed by Green Day's 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)', which blared out of a friend's tinny cellphone speakers.

Afterwards he gave a short speech in an attempt to "lighten the mood", which Mr Alcantara told NY Mag was earlier filled with "antsy and impatient" people.

After reaching their intended destination, Mr Alcantara ran to the graduation venue to see if they could still make the end - but they were out of luck, with the ceremony already finished.

However he revealed his family and friends threw him another mini-ceremony at the actual venue, so Mr Alcantara finished his day having experienced two graduations - and "a great time".

Newshub.