The superintendent handed a student his diploma — then made a life-changing offer before he left the stage

At Arts High School’s graduation ceremony in Newark, one student walked away with more than just a diploma. The video of the surprise moment was shared by the Newark Board of Education (@newarkpublicschools), where Miguel Rodriguez Bermudez, 19, was called back to the stage after receiving his certificate. That's when Newark Superintendent Roger León surprised him with a job offer to return to the district as a music teacher.

"Miguel, I have a question for you. You're going to William Paterson, right? What is it that you wanna do at William Paterson?" León asked, speaking from the podium. Rodriguez Bermudez replied, "I wanna become a music educator back in Newark Public Schools." León then held up a document and said, "He wants to become a music teacher in the Newark Public Schools. Well, guess what, ladies and gentlemen — here’s a $74,000 contract to Miguel Rodriguez Bermudez!"

The offer, which becomes active once he earns his bachelor’s degree in music education from William Paterson University, was part of a broader initiative by Newark Public Schools to invest in homegrown educators, reported NJ.com. This year, 34 graduates were offered future teaching positions in the district, including 32 students who completed a dual enrollment program with Montclair State University. "These contracts represent our investment in homegrown talent and a long-term strategy to build a pipeline of teachers who reflect and understand our students," León said in a statement.

The contract reflects the district’s new teacher pay scale, which raises starting salaries to $74,000 by 2029. Rodriguez Bermudez’s offer is part of that shift. He later said, "It was pure joy. It shocked me completely because I didn’t expect it at all." He will be the first in his immediate family to attend a four-year college. His mother, Betsy Bermudez-Crespo, said she had worried about how they would afford a laptop for college. Now, thanks to the school district, her son has a new laptop and a guaranteed job. "We came here with a dream, like everybody who leaves their island with a dream. And my dream was for my kids that one day, when I’m gone, they’ll be set," she said, adding, "It took a village to get to this point. I was a single mother, but I wasn’t alone. In the Newark school district, I was not alone."

For Rodriguez Bermudez, music was always his safe space. He started playing saxophone in fifth grade and applied to Arts High School to pursue his passion. Now, his goal is to return and teach in the same community that shaped him. Just like Bermudez-Crespo, several single mothers struggle with raising their kids. 28 % of single-mother households lived in poverty in 2022, according to the Center for American Progress (CAP).

The video went viral across social media platforms, including Reddit, where it received over 18,000 upvotes and sparked emotional reactions from viewers. u/jessevargas said, "I am so here for that angry encouragement from the podium dude. Loved every second of it." u/secretlyswos commented, "This is so nice to watch, he must have been so ecstatic after that moment." u/lexiswilsonofficial wrote, "His mom must be so happy and proud that all her and his hard work paid off. Huge congrats to them both!" u/ZepTheNooB quipped, "Nice to know there is still goodness left in this world. God bless everyone involved that day."