After years of hard work and dedication, a Colonie Central student was set to graduate when she lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital Friday, June 27. Following her recovery, her friends wanted to make sure she received her diploma in her cap and gown.
At the South Colonie Board of Education meeting Tuesday, July 1, 10 of Mia Murphy’s friends showed up in their caps and gowns to watch her receive her diploma.
“This clearly is a true showing of the type of Colonie community that we try to instill in our kids,” said Associate Principal Thomas Kachadurian, who helped organize the moment. “It’s such a great thing to see them come together and that they have turned in to such great citizens.”
On the day of her graduation, Murphy wasn’t feeling well, but after a visit to the doctor, she decided to tough it out for her graduation. Her mother said she knew how it important it was to Mia to be there.
“I had taken her earlier in the afternoon for a strep test because her throat was so sore and her glands were swollen, so I thought I should make sure to rule that out,” said Mary Beth Murphy, Mia’s mother. “She had been working so hard to get to this point. She said she wanted to do it. She said she could, so we went.”
Murphy blamed dehydration for Mia’s collapse.
“I think standing for two hours in the hallway at the Empire State Plaza without much air conditioning, if any, probably caused an element of the dehydration,” Murphy said.
Knowing that Mia was an honors student who had earned an advanced regents diploma, Kachadurian wanted to make sure she would be able to receive that honor in front of friends and family. He reached out to one of Mia’s friends, Maria Sosiak. From there, Sosiak talked to other friends who were more than willing to get back in their caps and gowns one more time.
Mary Beth Murphy praised the efforts of Kachadurian and Mia’s friends.
“It’s great. I had just texted one of the girls when Mr. Kachadurian told me about the arrangement,” she said. “This was something they all did and put together so it’s pretty great.”
The effort wasn’t lost on Mia, who said she was glad her friends did something so special for her.
“It makes me feel awesome. I’m really glad I got to do this. I didn’t it expect it all,” said Mia.
Another interesting facet to the whole ordeal was that the person who treated Mia at the hospital was a Colonie graduate on the last night of his residency.
“He was a third-year resident who had just graduated, and it was his last night in the emergency room,” said Mary Beth Murphy. “He even dressed in garnet-colored scrubs.”