On Friday night, Pamela Gonzalez was graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas when she got a surprise she never expected. Her father who has been deployed in the Middle East since July surprised his daughter at her graduation.
“I got an email that said ‘I have a daughter that’s going to be graduating in May and I'm overseas and I wanted to know if there was a way that I could surprise her,’” said Valarie Burke, assistant dean for graduate student services at UNLV.
It took months of planning as students prepared to walk across the stage, but behind the scenes, excitement was building for a secret operation yet to be unveiled.
Douglas Hernandez traveled for more than 30 hours from where he’s stationed to watch his daughter, Pamela, walk across the stage to receive her diploma.
“My heart sank. A lot of nerves, I mean, I was shaking. I couldn't believe it,” Pamela said.
It was a special moment for Pamela because having a father in the military means missing out on birthdays, holidays, and other special events together which is why the reunion was so meaningful.
“I'm just happy to be here. I'm happy to have my dad here and I'm happy to start a new chapter in life,” Pamela said.
Source: KTNV