Clemson University President Jim Clements witnessed the graduation of a lifetime when his youngest daughter gleefully (and accidentally) knocked him down while accepting her diploma.
On Thursday, May 8, the school saw students enrolled in the ClemsonLIFE program — a program for students with intellectual disabilities — walk the stage.
As Grace Clements went up to receive the diploma she earned at the South Carolina university, she leapt into her dad’s arms, both of them toppling over while still beaming with pride.
“ClemsonLIFE teaches independence, job skills… and apparently, how to sack a university president,” the official Clemson President Instagram account captioned the heartwarming video.
The hashtags “#DadDown #BestGraduationEver #AmazingGrace” were added to the post.
“Is there a limit on how many times you can watch a video?! This is the most amazing Grace/Daddy (aka Pres Clements) moment I’ve ever seen! It will go down in Clemson history. Congratulations, Grace! God bless you, Mom and Dad! God is good. 😭🧡💜,” one person commented.
Another wrote, “This is why I love my school. This was a daddy/daughter moment not her and the president. Such a sweet moment. I love how he went with it and how proud he is! 🧡💜.”
After the video went viral, Clements told Today, “She walked the stage, and I hit the turf. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was pure joy.”
According to Clemson University’s website, the ClemsonLIFE program “prepares young men and women with intellectual disabilities for competitive employment and independent living through a combination of academic coursework and career exploration.”
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It was designed to assist “students who desire a post-secondary experience on a college campus. Our program incorporates functional academics, independent living, employment and social/leisure skills in a public university setting with the goal of producing self-sufficient young adults.”
In a statement to Today, the university said, “For all of our Clemson students, graduation is a new beginning, and seeing Grace embrace her dad — our University President — embodied the moment of exhilaration felt by each of our 5,270 new Clemson alums as they begin the next chapter of their lives.”
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