UNI Holds Special Commencement for One Student [PHOTO]

When a flight delay caused a University of Northern Iowa student to return to Cedar Falls too late for commencement, the school held one just for her.

Carley Johnston, from Altoona, was in Pennsylvania searching for a job and planning on flying back in time for her commencement ceremony at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. However, her return flight to Iowa was delayed. The commencement started at 6 p.m. just as Carley was landing at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Hearing about what happened to Carley, President Bill Ruud and other members of the staff at UNI decided to wait for Carley after commencement ended. The staff and her family waited about an hour, then Carley had her own commencement.

Johnston told the Des Moines Register, "We talk about a lot about being a UNI family... that they can take 45 minutes of this evening, it just meant so much."

UNI spokesman Scott Ketelsen said, "there was never a question if everybody would stay."

Considering more than 2,000 received their degrees, it speaks volumes that UNI took the extra time to make sure one also could have the experience. In her case, a very personal one.

[via Des Moines Register]