A Father and Son have achieved outstanding success together after they both graduated with an honors degree from South Carolina State University, United States on the same day.
Father, Antoni Gathers, and Son, Brandon Gathers both graduated from South Carolina State University, United States. Antonio, 49 years old bagged his master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling or Psychology.
Brandon, who is 23-years old, graduated with a bachelor’s in Business Management. According to BlackNews, despite their 26-year age gap, several circumstances brought them to earn their degrees at the same time.
Brandon said he initially took a different major in another college but later decided to transfer to South Carolina University. He described achieving the feat as miraculous and did not regret losing two years as a result of changing schools.
Antonio said he decided to register for the special degree program and enrolled in the same college two years after his son. While Brandon attended classes on campus, Antonio took his classes online.
Antonio obtained his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2010 from Claflin University, United States, years after he finished high school in 1988. Antonio said he was shopping at a grocery store when he heard about a special degree program at South Carolina State University.
The father and son duo said that they get their inspiration from each other. Antonio stated that Brandon’s persevering spirit motivated him to push through college. “He was an inspiration to me, just seeing his perseverance,” Antonio told ABC about his son.
“Doing other things, and having a full-time career, you kind of put yourself on the back burner. And it was just really important to me to get his degree to pursue another avenue in my life and in my career so that I could help people,” he added.
Brandon described his father as one with a great personality and a perfect father figure who was always ready to encourage him anytime he had any challenges in school.
“He’s like my inspiration, he’s the perfect model of a black male father figure. He’s a God-fearing man, he’s successful, he’s intelligent, he knows what he’s doing. He is just a great person in general,” he said.
