Tate Braeckel’s mother waited his whole life for a chance to hear her son’s name called on graduation day.
So when he donned a robe and mortarboard with 1,500 others from Metropolitan State College on Sunday, Kathleen Wiechelman wanted everyone to know how she felt about her son.
“We’re very proud of him,” Wiechelman said. “He’s worked hard for this. He started at Red Rocks (Community College) and worked his way through.”
Thirteen family members and friends sat together in white T-shirts adorned with Braeckel’s smiling picture and the slogan “Tate is Great.”
Even 4 1/2-month-old Silas Braeckel wore one.
The group was just one of more than 1,000 families that packed the massive room inside the Colorado Convention Center.
Interim school president Raymond N. Kieft told the graduates that the day was not only about celebrating their accomplishments but also for thanking family and friends who made their achievements possible.
Commencement speaker Ken Salazar echoed Kieft’s remarks. The U.S. senator has his own family tie to Metro – his wife is an alumna.
Salazar also spoke at length about how rural communities and tight-knit neighborhoods are becoming “part of a forgotten America.”
He encouraged the graduates to seek out neighbors and learn about their communities.
For Katey Capra and Janelle Lind, the day was about two friends reaching their goals.
“It’s quite an accomplishment,” Lind said of graduation. “We started and finished together, and it’s exciting.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 720-929-0893 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
