I hope everyone is able to have a restful and introspective Memorial Day weekend. As I encouraged in America 250: Veterans Group Calls Upon Americans to Reignite What Unites Us: Freedom isn't free. All of us must pick up the mantle to remind, reinforce, and further the founding principles that made our nation, and us, great. Part of that is honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms, so that we get the privilege to enjoy a long weekend.
It is also officially commencement season, which means over the next several weeks, Feel-Good Friday will become graduation central! I like to find the best, the brightest, most incredibly fun, and sometimes most unusual, matriculation stories on the planet to feature in this column, so here goes!
This one comes from Lubbock, TX, where one graduating senior decked out her medical service dog in a matching gown to walk with her as she received her degree. What happens because of that... is absolutely adorable.
A woman's best friend and study partner, is the subject of this week's Feel-Good Friday.
Makaela Muse walked across the Texas Tech University graduation stage to receive her degree, along with Sadie, her medical service dog. Texas Tech shared this video on their Instagram account; it has since gone viral, and been picked up by the major and minor media outlets.
After shaking hands with faculty members, the graduate appears ready to leave the stage when one faculty member suddenly stops her and asks her to stay put. Moments later, he returns from the podium holding a bone wrapped with a ribbon to resemble a diploma.
The sweet surprise immediately leaves the graduate stunned as she covers her mouth in shock and laughs. The faculty member then places the “diploma” bone into Sadie's mouth before the duo proudly walk off the stage together.
WATCH:
Texas Tech University gave service dog Sadie her own “diploma” during a commencement ceremony, as she crossed the stage in a matching gown beside graduate Makaela Muse.
— The Project (@theprojecttv) May 20, 2026
“A special treat for a sweet doggo,” the university wrote. pic.twitter.com/baNtLyLZSr
Makaela Muse told local KCBD News:
“They took a moment that was going to be special anyways and made it so much more special than I ever could have imagined.”
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Sweet Sadie has been a part of Muse's family since she was a wee pup. Sadie was originally just a family dog, but then Muse suffered a catastrophic health incident while on the Texas Tech campus, pursuing her bachelor's degree in, of all things, animal sciences.
“I actually passed out in my very first animal dissection lab, and we hadn’t even gotten to the fun bits yet,” Muse said.
After years of being misdiagnosed, doctors discovered Makaela had two rare health conditions.
“Basically, between the two of them, my hormones are always going up and down, and that’s primarily her job, is to help me manage that,” Muse said.
What a wonderful happenstance that Sadie could be trained as Muse's medical service dog. She has alerted Muse to any changes in her body, and was with Muse all the years she studied. Muse gave praise to the work Sadie put in, right by her side.
“Like you deserve it too, because she went to just about every class and lab and every late night study session. People don’t understand that they are literally our lifelines,” Muse said.
It's true. I've written in these pages before about how dogs assist in therapeutic and medical ways. Everything from PTSD, to epilepsy, to autism, to Type 1 diabetes, and now these hormonal imbalances from which Makaela Muse suffers, these trained dogs do the powerful work of giving their humans a chance at experiencing independence and mobility, as well as provide a sense of normalcy and stability.
Muse is investigating veterinary schools, and of course, Sadie will be right by her side as she takes the journey to become a veterinarian.
Editor's Note: At RedState, it's not all about politics and policy. We like to bring attention to what's good in the world, with columns like "Feel-Good Friday," "Start Your Weekend Right," and "Hoge's Heroes."
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