LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Nearly 60 students received their graduate degrees from the Clinton School of Public Service Saturday with a ceremony of presidential proportions.
For many, crossing the graduation stage is a huge milestone.
With every name called at the school's commencement ceremony, comes a different story of how they got there.
One of those students is Demetrious Jordan.
"I've been homeless a lot of times in my life. As a child, with my mom," Jordan said.
He continued to persevere through the hardships and, with the help and support of friends, he was granted an opportunity to become a student at the Clinton School.
"I came here thinking public service meant, you know, community service and things of that nature. It looks a lot of different ways and I intend to take that knowledge and take into the real world," Jordan said.
In his commencement speech to graduates, former president Bill Clinton also emphasized that importance when it comes to helping others.
It's work that graduate Lea Metz said she's been doing for quite some time.
"I have 20 years of experience, but I've really realized how much I don't know," Metz said.
That's a big reason why she started classes back in March 2020, coincidentally the first week of the pandemic.
"It was a lot of growing pains," Metz said.
She had to work hard through COVID stressors to get to where she is today.
"I want to continue to build upon that, so that I can go out and do greater work and be more mindful and thoughtful," Metz said.
That's a mentality that's also seen in Brentia Clayton, who has been making a difference in children's lives for years as a teacher.
"I've started to realize that the problem was on a deeper and bigger level," Clayton said. "I saw some of the punitive discipline systems, how African American children were being treated."
Her journey outside the classroom begins today.
She's hoping to work in public policy to make sure every voice in the school system is heard.
"If we can come together to make the lives of children better, then we can do anything," Clayton said.
Stepping across that stage leads to a path into their next journey.