A star student welcomed her newborn baby on the day of her graduation

After four years of hard work, Jada Sayles was all set to graduate from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday. However, there was a very special surprise in store for her instead. The star student went into labor and in the early hours of the morning, was admitted to the hospital. That day, she ended up celebrating two milestones: her graduation and the birth of her son. Sayles received a personal visit from Dillard University President Walter M. Kimbrough, who hand-delivered her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. She is now officially a mother and a fresh graduate, PEOPLE Magazine reports.

"I thought I was gonna walk across the stage to get my degree, instead I got my baby," Sayles wrote in a Twitter post. "My sweet face decided to make his way on MY big day (now his). Shoutout to my university for still bringing my graduation and degree to me." The tweet was accompanied by four adorable photos of herself holding her newborn son. She added humorously, "I am a college graduate and mommy, talk to me nice!" The post has gone viral since it was first uploaded, gaining more than 11,200 retweets and more than 150,000 likes.

As she went into labor, she promptly informed President Kimbrough. He posted to Twitter, "Jada went into labor on Friday evening. [She] texted me around 4:30 am [on] Saturday saying she was being admitted, and the baby was born on her graduation day. So we rolled up to the hospital so I could finish my tenure in the most special way." Sayles was presented with her degree at the hospital and, of course, she was all dressed up for the occasion. The new mom donned her gown and cap for the special graduation ceremony. Her family members were also present, cheering her on in the background.

At the hospital, Kimbrough praised the student's "determination and commitment to excellence" before declaring her an official graduate from Dillard University. "This really was a very sweet moment," he noted when he uploaded video footage of the graduation ceremony for one. "I will never forget it." He clarified that he would have done the same "for anyone who asked," and it was actually his idea to visit Sayles in the hospital. Kimbrough recalled telling her, "What time can we come? To me, this is what [historically black colleges and universities] are all about!"