When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, mum-of-two AyannaTatum relocated her family to Houston because of the school districts.
The single mum wanted to give her children the best start in their lives and encouraged them to take their education seriously.
Ayanna, who is a native of New Orleans, has herself worked in education for 13 years.
When her son and daughter were young, Ayanna put herself through college, staying on campus with the kids and eventually got a master’s.
And now she’s celebrating her son’s college graduation.
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But as the coronavirus pandemic has halted all graduation ceremonies, Ayanna decided to honour her son with a backyard celebration.
The determined mum set up a stage in her garden with the university crest in the back and a podium for speeches.
Son Derek Williams, 22, who received his pre-med psychology degree from Baylor University was delighted with the surprise graduation.
‘To be a parent and see your child constantly studying, you are looking forward to that big moment,’ Ayanna told Yahoo.
‘That moment where you can scream your absolute lungs out. My mum died a year ago and she was my biggest fan, and of course, she was my kids’ biggest fan so it wasn’t just a graduation, it was something that was giving me hope, something to finally smile about.’
When the small family moved after the hurricane, Derek was still at primary school and doesn’t have many memories of the events.
He says: ‘I remember being homeless for a bit and staying at some shelters.
‘I also remember moving between hotels, and being taken in by the family we had in Houston. Though we didn’t have much and the future wasn’t bright, my mum poured everything into my sister and me.’
And it’s all paid off as he prepares for his new career in medicine.
But despite Ayanna’s best efforts at keeping the sweet ceremony secret, Derek says he knew something was up.
‘It all happened so fast.’ he said.
‘I knew she was up to something when I saw people I didn’t know unloading a stage.
‘Then I thought it would just be a small graduation for my mum and immediate family. But more [people came] and it felt like a genuine substitute for the real ceremony.’
How cute.
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