Woman collects her degree at graduation ceremony while in active labor: 'Best day of my life'

Milestones such as graduating, getting a dream job, buying a house or a car, getting married or having children are significant parts of our lives. When two of these milestones are achieved simultaneously, life just gets chaotically beautiful. This was the case on May 6, 2023, when Henry Ford College in the city of Dearborn, Michigan, hosted a special graduation ceremony. A woman showed immense dedication when she walked into her college graduation ceremony while in labor, reports WXYZ-TV Detroit, Channel 7.

Kelsey Hudie was determined to walk across the stage to receive her diploma degree. The college was informed of her plans and promptly rearranged the program, allowing her to receive her degree much earlier.

Hudie was understandably worried about the amount of walking she would have to do on graduation day, considering she was 38 weeks pregnant and already dilated. As she sat amongst her fellow graduates, her aspirations for education and motherhood intersected in a powerful way. She said, "Nothing was going to stop me from walking that stage — like 100% — even if I had her first."

Hudie's academic journey began in 2018 when she enrolled in college. Her unwavering determination to earn an associate liberal arts degree in education took five years, but she refused to give up on her dream. According to WAND-TV, Hudie's dedication paid off on May 6, 2023, when she walked across the stage to collect her hard-earned degree.

"I want to be a teacher in the end, so I'm going to transfer to Eastern," Hudie said. "When I graduated from high school — apart from having her — that was the best day of my life, and I had the best feeling walking across that stage to get my diploma because it was this feeling of achievement that I had finally done it."

Her aunt, who works at the college, got in touch with the administration just minutes before the afternoon commencement and they had no problem changing the order. Henry Ford College President, Russell Kavalhuna, said at the commencement: "We care so deeply about our students that we want to meet them where they are. There are a few things more important than this college degree, and that’s the thing she’s got to get to. So, I hope you will allow me to quickly move through one degree before we get to the rest of you all."

"They all were just so polite," Hudie shared. "I was able to sit on the stage, so I didn't have to, like, walk up and down a million sets of stairs."

Her firstborn, Nyla, was born three days after the graduation ceremony. This achievement adds a beautiful and unique chapter to her mother's journey, which Nyla will surely hear about and cherish as she grows up.

"I hope one day she just knows how special she is. Even without graduating and everything, I've wanted to be a mom for so long, so I’m just so happy," Hudie said. "I don't really like to make a big show about things, but I figured since they were making a big show about it, I have to finish it. I just had to show it off like I finally did it. We finally did."