Susan Petley’s heart raced as she walked across the stage on graduation night at St. Michael’s Catholic Adult High School in Windsor, Ont.
It was a moment he dreamed of for decades, but everything was wrong.
“There’s pain, there’s anger and there’s love,” Petley said, describing the emotions that brought her to tears and a stifling gymnasium to an emphatic ovation.
Petley was present to accept his daughter Bethany Anne Coupe’s high school diploma after she died of cancer in April.
“I’m a very proud mother, but it breaks my heart because she’s not here to see this,” she said, hugging her daughter Cynthia, standing next to her, tightly.
There were cheers and tears Thursday night as the next generation of adult high school graduates received their diplomas in Windsor. As Chris Ensing reports, one student set out to get her diploma before she died.
They were the first of more than 200 people to cross the stage at St. Michael’s Catholic Adult High School Thursday night.
Petley said her daughter, 35, battled health issues for years that made it difficult for her to complete her courses.
Bethany had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was told she might not have much time left.
But he took the books to his hospital bed and, with the help of St. Michael’s staff, continued with his courses.
Her daughter’s dedication was something Petley struggled to understand at first.
“But the point for her was that she was proud. She wanted to graduate and she wanted to give me the best gift she thought she could give me,” he said.
“But I think over time it became personal to her and she really wanted her notes.”
Petley said her daughter planned to go to St. Clair College and continue her education to pursue a career in helping children or animals.
Sitting in the front row, watching as Petley and his daughter Cynthia walked across the stage, were six siblings excited to accept their diplomas together.
“This is a great achievement,” said Rodas Tesfalem Arey, who moved with his family to Windsor from Sudan.
Their parents, originally from Eritrea, were able to watch them accept their diplomas back to back.
“We are all proud of ourselves and very happy,” he said after accepting his diploma.
His brothers plan to become mechanics, personal support workers and pilots.
She plans to become a pharmacy technician and thanked the staff at St. Michael’s for motivating them toward their goals.
“They give us hope to continue and they always tell us that they push us to achieve our goal,” he said.
That advice was echoed by Petley, who on an emotionally charged night said her daughter’s determination should help people move toward their goals.
“No matter what you’re faced with, if it’s something you really want, you can achieve it,” he said.
“And my daughter taught me that.”
