Waffle House employees work together to get co-worker to his graduation

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
When Timothy Harrison showed up for a shift on the day of his high school graduation, his co-workers rallied, racing against the clock to get him to the ceremony so he could celebrate his accomplishment.
Harrison, 18, has worked at the Waffle House in Center Point, Alabama, for almost two months. On May 27, he told his manager Cedric Hampton that he didn't have a ride to the graduation ceremony or tickets for his family, so he decided to come into work. Hampton said there was no way Harrison was going to miss graduating, and along with co-worker Shantana Blevins, he got to work putting together everything Harrison needed to attend the event.
"I had people want to see me succeed, so it kind of made me excited," Harrison told WVTM 13. The Waffle House team — with the encouragement of diners who heard what was going on — got an outfit for Harrison to wear, as well as his cap and gown. "When I put on the clothes, it was a different feeling," he said. "I don't even know the words. A million dollars? It was the best feeling." Blevins drove Harrison to the ceremony, and seeing him there "was priceless," she said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When Lawson State Community College heard Harrison's story, the school offered him a full scholarship, even covering books, and he will start taking classes in the fall. "To know that I have a path to go somewhere? That's something new," Harrison said.
His graduation may be over, but his co-workers are going to continue to lift Harrison up. "Now he can go to college and figure out what to do in his life, and we're gonna help guide him," Hampton said.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Support schemes to help first-time buyers onto the property ladder
The Explainer Purchasing a home is expensive but first-time buyers can get help
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
Chris Packham: Is It Time to Break the Law? review
Channel 4 documentary grapples with 'profound' questions about the 'climate apocalypse'
By The Week Staff Published
-
How do we calculate mass deaths?
The Explainer Recent revisions to 9/11 victims, Libyan flood casualties and Covid-19 death toll raise questions over estimates
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Exodus begins from Burning Man after desert mud trapped tens of thousands
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
'Margaritaville' singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
American Airlines suing website that offers tickets via price loopholes
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Federal agencies investigating near miss between Southwest jet and private plane
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud dies at 25
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens dies at 70
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Trader Joe's recalls 4 products in a week amid reports of rocks and insects inside food
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Emmys to be postponed for first time since after 9/11 due to strikes
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published