Mississippi family celebrates graduation as dad, two kids all earn master's degrees

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It's graduation season — and many thousands of college students all over the country are finishing their studies in this month of May.

And, unlike in the past two previous years amid the coronavirus epidemic, most graduation ceremonies this year are taking place in person (some schools are also livestreaming the ceremonies for those who can't attend). 

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Now, three members of a family in Mississippi have something special to celebrate — plus, they have a calendar date that will forever be meaningful to them all. 

A father and his two children all graduated together on Thursday from a branch of Mississippi State University.

"They’re all mine! They MASTERED it!!" 

Each of them earned a master's degree in education, the Associated Press reported.

Located in east-central Mississippi, MSU-Meridian’s campus is non-residential.

In this photo provided by Mississippi State University's Meridian Office of Public Affairs, Ja'Coby Cole (left), his sister Iesha Gully (center) and their father Commondre Cole (right) show their diploma covers, on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at commencement at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian, Miss. All three family members earned a master's degree in education this week.  (Lisa Sollie/Mississippi State University-Meridian via AP)

On its website, the college notes that it provides site-based credit and non-credit course work, as well as classes through distance learning. 

It uses resident faculty, MSU-Starkville campus faculty and part-time adjunct instructors.

Commondre Cole, son Ja’Coby Cole and daughter Iesha Gully were among the 153 graduates this past Thursday at MSU-Meridian's spring commencement, the AP noted.

Commondre Cole teaches at Northwest Middle School and his son, Ja’Coby Cole, teaches at Oakland Heights Elementary, both in the Meridian Public School District. 

Daughter Gully is a teacher as well — at Northeast Elementary in the Lauderdale County School District, the AP also reported.

Mary Cole, mother of Commondre Cole, shared with her Facebook followers this week, "They’re all mine! They MASTERED it!!" 

One responder wrote, "Triple effect! Congratulations!"

She included a video of her son and her two grandchildren all receiving their master's degrees — as well as a page from the graduation program showing their names listed among the master's graduates.

Responders to her post shared plenty of supportive notes and comments — and one responder wrote, "Triple effect! Congratulations!"

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Sid Salter, an alumnus of the school, wrote on Twitter, "MSU supports the program's aim of preparing more qualified educators."

"We accomplished this and we're all walking together," said Commondre Cole at Thursday's commencement ceremony, referring to the completion of his master's degree as well as his two kids' accomplishments as well.  (iStock)

Commondre Cole said his wife, Jessica Gully-Cole, also teaches — and that it was she who encouraged him to return to college with their children.

"We accomplished this and we’re all walking together," he said at the ceremony, as the AP reported. Fox News Digital reached out Commondre Cole for comment.

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This college's commencement ceremonies as well as many more this month come as President Biden said in a press conference last month that he is considering canceling "some" student loan debt. 

"I am not considering $50,000 debt reduction, but I am in the process of taking a hard look at whether or not there will be additional debt forgiveness," Biden said. 

Happy graduates walk the stairs at a university with their diplomas in hand.

Roughly half the students who attend MSU-Meridian reside in Lauderdale County, the school notes on its website. 

The remainder commute from 32 other Mississippi counties and from Alabama — with a majority making their homes in the surrounding counties of Clarke, Jasper, Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott and Wayne, the school also says. 

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.