Military mom surprised with graduation message from her son deployed at border: 'I started to cry'

A mom was overcome with emotion when she got a surprise message during her college graduation from her son who is currently on duty at the Texas-Mexico border.

"My mama heart was bursting," Jennifer Duggin, 50, of Woodbury, Tennessee, told Fox News Digital.

"I was not expecting that at all, and I do not like to be the center of attention, but when Will popped up there on the screen, I started to cry. It completely surprised me."

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"Hey, Mom," Sgt. William Bailey, 28, can be heard saying in the video, dressed in his Tennessee Army National Guard uniform. 

"I know I’m not there for graduation, so I figured I’d make you a video to tell you congratulations and I love you. Keep pushing. I’ll see you soon."

A mother from Tennessee was surprised with a video shown at her graduation after her son who is deployed, could not attend. (Tennessee Tech University)

Duggin, who is military active herself — Sgt. First Class Duggin, also of the Tennessee Army National Guard — knows that missing special moments is part of the job. 

She served in Iraq in the early 2009s-2010s while raising her kids. 

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So, Duggin wasn’t disappointed that her son was not there when she received a diploma for her master’s degree in professional studies from Tennessee Tech University.

Jennifer Duggin, left, and her son, William Bailey, right, are both active in the military, so the mom was not upset when her son was not able to be present for her graduation. (Jennifer Duggin)

"We’re military," Duggin said. "We miss a lot of things. But he got to watch the ceremony live. And when we left, I called him crying, and he said, ‘I got you, didn’t I?’ I said, ‘Yes you did. You got me.’"

Bailey is currently serving in McAllen, Texas, as the U.S. border crisis continues.

"My mom has always supported all of us growing up, even when she was overseas," Bailey told Fox News Digital. 

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"I felt like I got to return the favor," he added. "To see her happy always brings happiness to me because my mom will always be No. 1."

During the graduation ceremony, Bailey's video was played in front of all the graduates — bringing his mother to tears. (Tennessee Tech University)

Duggin joined the National Guard when she was 17, but always knew that one day she wanted to get a college education, she said.

But she put country and family first, marrying a "hometown boy" at a young age and having a son.

"I wanted out of that little bitty town that I now live in," Duggin said with a laugh.

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"I wanted to see things. I wanted to do things. And I wanted to go to college. So I joined. It was definitely good for me," she added.

"Most people look up to a superhero or a famous person in life. I get to look up to my mom."

— Sgt. William Bailey

While serving in Iraq, she worked in supply.

"We delivered supplies from one FOB, which is a forward operating base to our other forward operating bases all over Iraq," Duggin said. 

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"We took them on convoys. I'm actually in aviation, so we’d fly."

She returned home in 2010 and continued working in a full-time military job. In 2012, she started a new position refueling helicopters. 

Duggin graduated with her master’s degree in just one year and with a 4.0. (Tennessee Tech University)

All this while she and her second husband raised 10 children between them.

"We have our three boys," Duggin said. "We had our nieces and nephews, and we had some bonus children who were friends of our kids. So, somebody's going to take care of us when we get old."

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In 2014, a friend asked Duggin if she wanted to join her in earning an associate’s degree.

She was all in — but didn’t stop there. 

Duggin was left stunned after looking up at the screen during her graduation only to see her son talking to her on video. (Tennessee Tech University)

She continued her education and began working on her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in public safety and psychology.

"I was already in college and I thought, I’m already two years in. I might as well finish," she said. 

"I only did two classes at a time, which is what took so long, because I'm a perfectionist and I wanted straight As," Duggin said. 

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She earned her bachelor's degree in 2023, she said.

"Your education is one thing no one can take from you."

— Jennifer Duggin

Duggin then enrolled in graduate courses and earned her master’s degree in just one year, with a 4.0 grade average.

"I've done a lot of hard things in my life, but getting that master's in one year was hard," Duggin said. 

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"I did a lot of crying and a lot of wanting to quit. But I had a point to prove and a bucket list to check off. It was a lifelong goal of mine to get my bachelor's degree. I never dreamed I'd get my master’s."

Duggin also works as a readiness NCO, which is an administrative role for her unit. 

Duggin was overcome with emotion after seeing her son on her special day. (Tennessee Tech University)

She supports and advises soldiers through all of life’s decisions and challenges, such as getting married, divorced, having children — and also their professional military career.

Staff Sgt. James Rhodes, who works with Duggin, said she's supportive of all soldiers whether it's "on the job or off." 

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"If we have an event on the civilian side, she would go out of her way to come to that event no matter who you are," Rhodes told Fox News Digital. "She treats everybody equally and she literally takes care of us."

Duggin said she remembers what it’s like to be a young person in the military — and hopes to share her experience with those just starting out in life.

Duggin and several other students stood up during the ceremony as they were honored for their service in the military. (Tennessee Tech University)

"I made a lot of wrong turns," Duggin said. "But thank goodness God allows [a] U-turn. I've been married to my husband now for 18 years, and he's my biggest cheerleader. We all make mistakes. We sometimes just go down the wrong path. The only way we can fix it is to do a U-turn and start all over. So that's what I did."

She recommends a military career to men and women who want to set themselves up for success.

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"You're guaranteed a paycheck, and you’re guaranteed benefits," she said. 

"It pays for college. When you retire, you have insurance for the rest of your life. Yes, you’re making a sacrifice. There's less than 1% that join the military. Go be part of that," Duggin added.

Bailey wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps and decided to serve in the military. (Jennifer Duggin)

That’s exactly what her son did.

"Most people look up to a superhero or a famous person in life. I get to look up to my mom," Bailey said.

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"The decisions my mom makes in the military impact her, but also her soldiers — and me. She pushes me to be a better soldier every day and become a better leader myself so I can grow through the military and help others."

One message Duggin said she’d like to share is that you're never too old to get an education.

Duggin proudly put her diplomas up in her office and encourages others to go after their education, no matter how old they are. (Jennifer Duggin/Tennessee Tech University)

"These two pieces of paper hanging on my wall in my office — I earned it. I tell my soldiers that all the time. When you're young, sometimes it's hard, but you're never too old to go back to school. Even if it's one class at a time."

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