Commencement season is fully underway! As I said a few weeks ago, throughout this month of June, the column will feature all those special graduation moments, like this one which occurred a week ago in Milwaukee, WI. An Army specialist was able to surprise her younger brother at his high school graduation, and the surprise, as well as the great affection between the two, has gone viral — like worldwide viral.
Faith, fidelity, and family are the subject of this week's Feel-Good Friday.
An important day at Milwaukee Lutheran High School was made even more incredible when Army Specialist Mariana Barksdale learned she would be returning home.
Just in time for her little brother Kalen's graduation.
"After a year of missing so much, holidays and other birthdays, and things like that," said Specialist Barksdale. "I at least wanted to make it home for his big day and God made that happen.
If you haven't seen the video of their viral moment, here it is. I would place this among the Top 10 best commencement scenes ever. Truly heartwarming.
WATCH:
In Wisconsin, a graduate was forced to stop on stage when his diploma couldn't be found.
— Goodable (@Goodable) June 2, 2026
That's when the school said a person traveled thousands of miles to deliver it to him.
It was his sister, returning from military service, for over a year. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/90jgtRaxdm
It is equally sweet when you get to hear the backstory, and Specialist Barksdale and Kalen Barksdale spoke with WDJT-TV, the local CBS News station, about how it all came about.
More Commencement Feel-Goods: Feel-Good Friday: College Grad With Medical Needs Walks With Her Service Dog, Who Gets Special Honor
Feel-Good Friday: Young Man Becomes HS Grad, Finishes 'Boot Camp'—Walks in His Marine Corps Uniform
A month ago, Specialist Mauriana Barksdale was told by her superiors that she would be going home to Milwaukee: right on time for her little brother's graduation. So, she and her stepmother concocted their plan to surprise Kalen on his special day. Of course, they wanted to ensure they could clear it with the school, so, Mama Barksdale and Specialist Barksdale called up Milwaukee Lutheran High School, and spoke with the school's principal and assistant principal to see if they would be able and willing to be a part of this special surprise.
"I couldn't say yes fast enough," said Assistant Principal Atoi Sinclair. "You're nervous of like, how is this actually going to go, but you know the memory you're going to make for the family, and there's some kind of excitement in that."
Now that the school was on board, all that was required was keeping it from Kalen. In order to keep the circle tight, only the Barksdale elders, Principal Wayne Jensen, Assistant Principal Sinclair, and a staff member knew about the plan. This helped ensure that Kalen had no clue what was about to happen.
Up to the second Kalen walked across the stage - he had no idea.
"I'm like, dang, I really wish my sister could be here and everything, but you know, we'll record it and send it to her," said Kalen.
You can tell by the video that Kalen was impatient to get off that stage, wondering why they had lost his diploma.
"All they knew was, at some point in time a name was going to be read, there's not going to be a diploma, you're not going to find the diploma, but you're going to keep looking," Principal Dr. Wayne Jensen said. "Do you want to know more than that? and they're like, No. Let's have some fun."
Milwaukee Lutheran High School also livestreamed the entire moment, which means people outside of that auditorium could take part in the joy. It's also why the video went so far, so fast.
I cannot say it enough: God bless our fighting men and women who choose to run to the danger, and sacrifice in order to secure the blessings of liberties for those of us here at home. I can only imagine that Kalen and Mama Barksdale, while honoring Specialist Barksdale's commitment to serve, miss her greatly everyday and are always praying for her safety. What a beautiful testament to that family bond and their family faith that made this dynamic moment possible, and swept everyone into the moment of that beautiful embrace which they shared.
"It was a blessing to have her here. I thank God every day to have her here and that she's here safe in one piece," said Kalen.
Here's the full snippet, thanks to WDJT-TV (58 News Milwaukee).
WATCH:
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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