The commencement ceremony at Union University this past weekend held a double dose of surprise and pride, not just for the graduating students but also for the Berry family in particular. Michael Berry, a senior plant director for Corelle Brands, donned his own cap and gown to stand alongside his daughter, Cecily Berry, as they both celebrated completing their Master of Business Administration degrees. This father-daughter graduation twist, as reported by Union University, unfolded as Michael secretly pursued his MBA alongside his daughter’s academic journey.
Hidden from Cecily’s knowledge, her father had meticulously planned his coursework with the help of Naomi Van Nes, a graduate and adult admissions counselor at Union. Van Nes ensured that father and daughter never crossed virtual paths in the online MBA program, even though students could see the names of everyone in their classes. While interning for a wealth management company, Cecily spent several weeks at home last summer, leading Michael to engage in a balancing act of completing coursework without his daughter noticing, all while maintaining the facade of working on a "project."
Finally, at the commencement ceremony on May 3, Michael surprised Cecily and revealed his accomplishment. "And you somehow missed all of my classes, too," Cecily told her dad, as detailed by Union University’s release. She expressed her pride and surprise, having been completely unaware of her father's academic pursuits. Michael’s secret was carefully shielded from Cecily by professors and other students, some of whom were mutual friends, to preserve the commencement day revelation.
Cecily, too, had achieved her own academic success, completing an accelerated program that allowed her to earn her master's degree just one semester after finishing her bachelor's degree in economics. A job at Northwestern Mutual in Memphis was already on her horizon. Union University played a significant role for the Berry sisters, as also Gabrielle, Cecily's older sister and an alumna, pursued seminary education at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina. Michael emphasized the value of a biblical worldview in education, as told in a statement obtained by Union University, cherishing the fit it provided for his daughters as they stepped into the real world.
