Northwest Nazarene University planned on having its commencement back in early May; however, the pandemic put that ceremony on hold.
On Sunday, NNU honored 517 graduates with commencement at the Ford Idaho Center.
One of those students is Diana Hernandez, who moved from Mexico with her parents when she was 16-years-old.
Diana had a tough time adjusting to high school in Nampa. She missed her siblings who stayed back in Mexico, and she also didn't understand English.
"I always tell people when I was high school, I felt like I was deaf and blind," said Hernandez. "I couldn't understand what was going on around me."
But Diana's family also moved into a home near Northwest Nazarene University.
"I would always drive by, and I would dream of going to that beautiful campus," said Hernandez.
That dream came full circle when Diana was recognized in front of her family as she earned a Master's Degree in education from NNU.
"I am forever grateful to with my teachers in Mexico, to my professors here at NNU, and I am just super happy I changed my family's destiny," said Hernandez.
Diana's future plans include helping the next generation of students reach their educational goals; currently, she is a teacher in Middleton.
"So, I just want to share my experiences with my students," said Hernandez. "I teach Spanish, so I want to bring my culture into my classroom, and I do it in very innovative and fun ways."
Click here to check out Northwest Nazarene's graduation ceremony.
