World War II vet receives high school diploma alongside grandson

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/WTAE-TV Pittsburgh)

published 14 May 2019

It took decades, but Pete Sabedra can now hold his own high school diploma.

Sabedra, 92, was in the eighth grade when his father died. In order to support his family, he dropped out of school and started working for the railroad. Soon after, he joined the military, serving in World War II. Following the war, he received his GED, but Sabedra's family thought now would be the perfect time for him to get his high school diploma.

Sabedra's grandson, Kace, is graduating this month from Derry Area High School in Derry, Pennsylvania, and the family arranged with the school for his grandfather to become an honorary member of the Class of 2019. They surprised the elder Sabedra with his diploma last week during an awards ceremony for seniors. "It means a lot," he told WTAE. Kace Sabedra said his grandfather "was there for me my whole life," and the fact they are both getting their diplomas this year is "pretty cool." Catherine Garcia

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox