Delayed Subway Passengers Came Together to Give This Graduate an Unforgettable Ceremony

He put in the hard work and earned his degree — but for recent grad Jerich Marco Alcantara, attending his formal graduation ceremony was just not to be. On the way to New York City’s Radio City Music Hall for the big event on Tuesday, Alcantara found himself stuck on a slow subway, causing him to miss the event. Decked out in his full graduate regalia, his fellow passengers banded together to give him an impromptu version of a ceremony against the unfortunate odds.

From a digital, hand-drawn version of a diploma — presented on a cell phone — to the all-important soundtrack of Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” backgrounding the moment, the travelers really came to the rescue to give the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing grad a celebratory, if makeshift, moment while stuck underground.

As Select All notes, Alcantara explained in a comment on the video taken of his experience that the delay was due to an issue with the train’s emergency brakes. All told, they were delayed more than two hours.

“Everyone seemed annoyed, and by that time, my commencement was already about an hour in,” he told ABC7. “So I felt like lightening the mood and thanked everyone for ‘coming to my graduation.’ Told them it meant a lot to me, and they applauded it.”