CLEARWATER, Fla. — Demetria Coleman hides a Mickey Mouse graduation doll around the Oldsmar house, which she shares with her son, Andrew High.
"I told [Andrew], this is going to keep you focused," the mom says about their fun game. "Not only am I thinking about you, I'm thinking about you graduating and walking across that stage."
WATCH Mother and son to graduate St. Petersburg College together in same ceremony
Next week at the Baycare Sound, High will indeed walk across that stage as part of St. Petersburg College's spring graduation.
He's earning his associate degree in graphic design at SPC's Clearwater campus.
But in a great big beautiful family twist, Coleman will honor a promise she made her son:
She will graduate alongside him, earning a bachelor's degree from SPC in human services.
They realized they'd be graduating together during the fall semester.
The stars aligned.
"My heart dropped!" High says teasingly.
"We know how blessed we are to have this opportunity," says Coleman, a motivational speaker who owns a life-coaching company called the Clarion Woman. "There's no one else in the world I'd rather be side by side with than this guy right here."
In true eye-rolling kid fashion, High admits that going to college with his mom—and seeing her on the Clearwater campus—is "definitely surreal."
But it becomes very clear, very fast, that this family cheers for each other in a big way.
Of course, if they get to walk onstage together at the graduation — make it happen, SPC! — Mom says she gets to go first.
"I know if he goes first, he won't wait for me!" she says laughing. "He'll take off!"
For more stories by Sean Daly, follow him on Instagram at @seandalytv.
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