After spending months stationed in the Middle East, a dedicated Navy service member embarked on a journey of over 30 hours to surprise his daughter at her graduation ceremony on May 12.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Douglas Hernandez took the initiative to reach out to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to arrange the heartwarming surprise. Valarie Burke, Ph.D., the assistant dean of graduate student services at UNLV, shared that “I get an email that says, ‘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.’”

The UNLV staff enthusiastically collaborated with Hernandez to coordinate the surprise, ensuring that this special moment would be one to remember for both the father and his daughter.

Douglas Hernandez and his daughter, Pamela Hernandez, finally reunited after an extended period of separation, not having seen each other in person since July of the previous year.

As they laid eyes on each other once more at the Thomas & Mack Center during the 2023 Spring Commencement, Pamela Hernandez couldn’t hold back her tears of joy.

“I was shaking. I couldn’t believe it,” the graduate told KTNV.

“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,” she added.

Pamela Hernandez successfully earned her Master of Public Administration degree, marking a significant achievement in her academic journey.