Students from 25 colleges and universities walked the line in a graduation ceremony at Fort Knox's Waybur Theater Oct. 12.
Sally Ingle, guidance counselor for the Fort Knox Education Center, said although the need for a collective graduation ceremony was bred from necessity, it has become a true celebration.
"With the onset of distance learning, Soldiers who have deployed, and Families always [moving], there is a lot of transition. Many who have finished their requirements have been unable to celebrate their graduation," Ingle said. "We began this as a reward to Soldiers and their Families who have had to forego their education because of their Army careers. We are not an institution of higher learning ourselves -- their own colleges' representatives confer their degrees -- we are simply celebrating their achievement. The hard work that goes into getting a degree and the sacrifices that students and their families have to make warrant recognition."
Ingle said the ceremony was so important to people, they've opened it up to other learning institutions besides those at Fort Knox.
"We are very unique in that we offer an [all-inclusive] graduation ceremony," said Ingle. "We have six on-post colleges. Only one of those has a campus or facility reasonably close enough to travel to. The first multi-school graduation ceremony was held on Fort Knox two years ago. There is such a need for this that we've opened the ceremony to anyone affiliated with the military in any way.
"If they attended a post school, [are] related to a veteran, a civilian, retiree, contractors -- they need only register and we'll include them in the ceremony with our graduates."
Jerome and Davia Pendergrass took different paths to achieve their higher learning goals but never dreamed they'd arrive together.
"I started at a different college straight out of high school, but I've had to stop and go with each [change of station]. I was in a different program in the medical field, but we never stayed put long enough for me to take the clinicals," Davia said. "Once we got here, I decided to focus on general education first."
Being a Soldier is a full-time job, said Jerome, who added that if he couldn't take the time, he'd have to make the time.
"The Army's goals almost [always] beat out my personal goals," Jerome said. "With my schedule, [temporary duty] and going where the Army sent me, I couldn't go to classes. I had to do it differently; I had to take all my college courses online."
Neither found they could do it alone.
"He's always been supportive, and there were times that we had to go back and forth," Davia said. "He'd take a break when the workload was too much, and he'd take charge of our three kids and their activities and sports events. He'd make sure he was home when I needed to get to class and he'd make sure I'd get the study time I needed.
"When he was ready, I'd take things back and deal with the kids."
Both said they feel the ceremony is the perfect way to celebrate their shared sacrifices and individual accomplishments.
"This really means a lot to us -- this is something special to share," Davia said. "We've been through the same things, and now we're meeting our individual goals together. It's really good to have him standing next to me today."
Jerome said the conglomerate ceremony was a fitting conclusion, considering the environment.
"It's great! It's very much like we are in the Army," he said. "There is so much diversity, but we come together to get it done. We're a family moving toward our own individual progression."
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